{"id":6002,"date":"2023-04-21T17:23:06","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T17:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=6002"},"modified":"2023-04-21T17:23:06","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T17:23:06","slug":"sudans-top-commander-says-army-is-committed-to-civilian-rule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/africa\/sudans-top-commander-says-army-is-committed-to-civilian-rule\/2023\/04\/21\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Sudan’s top commander says army is committed to civilian rule"},"content":{"rendered":"

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudan’s top general declared<\/span> the<\/span> military’s<\/span> commitment<\/span> to<\/span> a<\/span> civilian-led<\/span> government,<\/span> an<\/span> apparent<\/span> bid<\/span> for<\/span> international<\/span> support<\/span> days<\/span> after<\/span> brutal<\/span> fighting<\/span> between<\/span> his<\/span> forces<\/span> and<\/span> a<\/span> powerful<\/span> paramilitary<\/span> group<\/span> derailed<\/span> hopes<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> country’s<\/span> democratic<\/span> transition.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>In<\/span> his<\/span> first<\/span> speech<\/span> since<\/span> the<\/span> conflict<\/span> engulfed<\/span> Sudan<\/span> nearly<\/span> a<\/span> week<\/span> ago,<\/span> army<\/span> chief<\/span> Gen.<\/span> Abdel<\/span> Fattah<\/span> Burhan<\/span> pledged<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> would<\/span> prevail<\/span> and<\/span> secure<\/span> the<\/span> vast<\/span> African<\/span> nation’s<\/span> \u201csafe<\/span> transition<\/span> to<\/span> civilian<\/span> rule.\u201d<\/span> But<\/span> for<\/span> many<\/span> Sudanese,<\/span> Burhan’s<\/span> claim<\/span> rang<\/span> hollow<\/span> 18<\/span> months<\/span> after<\/span> he<\/span> joined<\/span> forces<\/span> with<\/span> his<\/span> current<\/span> rival<\/span> to<\/span> seize<\/span> power<\/span> in<\/span> a<\/span> coup<\/span> that<\/span> cast<\/span> aside<\/span> Sudan’s<\/span> pro-democracy<\/span> forces.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Mosques<\/span> held<\/span> mass<\/span> morning<\/span> prayers<\/span> inside<\/span> to<\/span> protect<\/span> worshipers<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> escalating<\/span> fighting.<\/span> The<\/span> violence<\/span> has<\/span> so<\/span> far<\/span> killed<\/span> 413<\/span> people<\/span> and<\/span> injured<\/span> 3,551,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> latest<\/span> statistics<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> World<\/span> Health<\/span> Organization.<\/span> At<\/span> least<\/span> nine<\/span> children<\/span> were<\/span> killed<\/span> and<\/span> 50<\/span> wounded<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> fighting,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Nations<\/span> Children’s<\/span> Fund.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Her<\/span> 37-year-old<\/span> baker<\/span> Daria<\/span> Abdelmoniem<\/span> from<\/span> Khartoum<\/span> fled<\/span> with<\/span> her<\/span> family<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday<\/span> after<\/span> a<\/span> rocket<\/span> crashed<\/span> through<\/span> her<\/span> roof.<\/span> The<\/span> roads<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> suburbs<\/span> were<\/span> strewn<\/span> with<\/span> corpses.<\/span> Abdelmoniem<\/span> covered<\/span> the<\/span> eyes<\/span> of<\/span> his<\/span> niece<\/span> and<\/span> nephew.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> blast<\/span> that<\/span> shook<\/span> Khartoum<\/span> was<\/span> followed<\/span> by<\/span> fierce<\/span> international<\/span> calls<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> holiday<\/span> truce.<\/span> The<\/span> Rapid<\/span> Relief<\/span> Force,<\/span> a<\/span> paramilitary<\/span> organization,<\/span> mobilized<\/span> his<\/span> army<\/span> at<\/span> Eid<\/span> al-Fitr<\/span> to<\/span> allow<\/span> evacuation<\/span> and<\/span> safe<\/span> corridors<\/span> after<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> Nations<\/span> and<\/span> US<\/span> Secretary<\/span> of<\/span> State<\/span> Anthony<\/span> Brinken<\/span> urged<\/span> a<\/span> pause<\/span> from<\/span> the<\/span> spiral<\/span> of<\/span> violence.<\/span> vowed<\/span> to<\/span> cease<\/span> fighting<\/span> for<\/span> three<\/span> days.<\/span> However,<\/span> there<\/span> was<\/span> no<\/span> response<\/span> from<\/span> Burhan’s<\/span> forces.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> lull<\/span> in<\/span> combat<\/span> thus<\/span> proposed<\/span> collapsed<\/span> repeatedly<\/span> in<\/span> this<\/span> past<\/span> week.<\/span> Two<\/span> generals<\/span> seeking<\/span> to<\/span> take<\/span> control<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> vast<\/span> African<\/span> country<\/span> are<\/span> vying<\/span> for<\/span> recognition<\/span> from<\/span> foreign<\/span> powers<\/span> that<\/span> have<\/span> expressed<\/span> support<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Sudanese<\/span> seeking<\/span> a<\/span> transition<\/span> to<\/span> civilian<\/span> rule.<\/span> Both<\/span> Burhan<\/span> and<\/span> his<\/span> rival,<\/span> RSF<\/span> chief<\/span> Mohammed<\/span> Hamdan<\/span> Dagalo,<\/span> have<\/span> tried<\/span> to<\/span> present<\/span> themselves<\/span> as<\/span> supporters<\/span> of<\/span> democracy.<\/span> In<\/span> 2019,<\/span> they<\/span> turned<\/span> against<\/span> longtime<\/span> dictator<\/span> Omar<\/span> al-Bashir<\/span> and<\/span> ousted<\/span> him<\/span> from<\/span> power<\/span> amid<\/span> popular<\/span> uprisings<\/span> against<\/span> his<\/span> rule.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But<\/span> since<\/span> then<\/span> they<\/span> have<\/span> failed<\/span> to<\/span> follow<\/span> through<\/span> on<\/span> their<\/span> agreement<\/span> to<\/span> relinquish<\/span> power.<\/span> Their<\/span> forces<\/span> crushed<\/span> pro-democracy<\/span> protests,<\/span> and<\/span> in<\/span> 2021<\/span> they<\/span> jointly<\/span> staged<\/span> a<\/span> coup<\/span> to<\/span> overthrow<\/span> the<\/span> interim<\/span> government<\/span> and<\/span> cement<\/span> them<\/span> as<\/span> Sudan’s<\/span> most<\/span> powerful<\/span> leaders.<\/span> The<\/span> current<\/span> outburst<\/span> of<\/span> violence<\/span> between<\/span> them<\/span> came<\/span> after<\/span> Burhan<\/span> and<\/span> Dagalo<\/span> broke<\/span> down<\/span> over<\/span> a<\/span> recent<\/span> internationally<\/span> negotiated<\/span> agreement<\/span> with<\/span> pro-democracy<\/span> activists<\/span> that<\/span> would<\/span> lead<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> incorporation<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> RSF<\/span> into<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> and<\/span> eventual<\/span> civilian<\/span> rule.<\/span> .<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Since<\/span> Saturday,<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> and<\/span> RSF<\/span> have<\/span> shown<\/span> no<\/span> signs<\/span> of<\/span> slowing<\/span> the<\/span> escalation<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> struggle.<\/span> The<\/span> Army<\/span> on<\/span> Thursday<\/span> denied<\/span> negotiating<\/span> with<\/span> the<\/span> RSF<\/span> and<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> would<\/span> only<\/span> accept<\/span> the<\/span> RSF’s<\/span> surrender.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> violence<\/span> has<\/span> already<\/span> brought<\/span> the<\/span> Sudanese<\/span> people<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> brink<\/span> of<\/span> collapse,<\/span> opening<\/span> a<\/span> dark<\/span> and<\/span> tumultuous<\/span> chapter<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> country’s<\/span> history.<\/span> There<\/span> are<\/span> growing<\/span> concerns<\/span> that<\/span> turmoil<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> strategically<\/span> located<\/span> country<\/span> could<\/span> engulf<\/span> neighboring<\/span> countries<\/span> such<\/span> as<\/span> Chad,<\/span> Egypt<\/span> and<\/span> Libya.<\/span> Artillery<\/span> and<\/span> sniper<\/span> fire<\/span> hit<\/span> civilian<\/span> infrastructure,<\/span> including<\/span> hospitals,<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> past<\/span> week.<\/span> WHO<\/span> Director-General<\/span> Tedros<\/span> Adhanom<\/span> Ghebreyesus<\/span> condemned<\/span> Friday’s<\/span> attack<\/span> on<\/span> health<\/span> facilities<\/span> as<\/span> “condemnable”,<\/span> saying<\/span> it<\/span> “not<\/span> only<\/span> endangers<\/span> the<\/span> lives<\/span> of<\/span> health<\/span> workers<\/span> but<\/span> also<\/span> removes<\/span> essential<\/span> medical<\/span> care<\/span> from<\/span> vulnerable<\/span> populations”.<\/span> take<\/span> away,”<\/span> he<\/span> said.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>WHO<\/span> spokeswoman<\/span> Margaret<\/span> Harris<\/span> told<\/span> reporters<\/span> in<\/span> Geneva<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> violence<\/span> has<\/span> forced<\/span> the<\/span> closure<\/span> of<\/span> 20<\/span> health<\/span> facilities<\/span> across<\/span> the<\/span> country.Another<\/span> 12<\/span> hospitals<\/span> are<\/span> at<\/span> risk<\/span> of<\/span> closing,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> UNICEF.<\/span> Approximately<\/span> 50,000<\/span> severely<\/span> malnourished<\/span> children<\/span> in<\/span> Sudan<\/span> are<\/span> regularly<\/span> tube-fed<\/span> for<\/span> survival.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Both<\/span> the<\/span> military<\/span> and<\/span> his<\/span> RSF<\/span> have<\/span> long<\/span> histories<\/span> of<\/span> human<\/span> rights<\/span> abuses<\/span> in<\/span> Sudan.<\/span> The<\/span> RSF<\/span> grew<\/span> out<\/span> of<\/span> Janjaweed<\/span> militias<\/span> accused<\/span> of<\/span> widespread<\/span> atrocities<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> government’s<\/span> use<\/span> of<\/span> them<\/span> to<\/span> quell<\/span> an<\/span> insurgency<\/span> in<\/span> Sudan’s<\/span> West<\/span> Darfur<\/span> region<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> early<\/span> 2000s.<\/span> “It’s<\/span> really<\/span> hard<\/span> to<\/span> stay<\/span> calm,”<\/span> Abdelmoniem<\/span> said,<\/span> explaining<\/span> that<\/span> shortages<\/span> of<\/span> fuel,<\/span> medicine,<\/span> cash<\/span> and<\/span> food<\/span> are<\/span> causing<\/span> despair<\/span> in<\/span> much<\/span> of<\/span> Khartoum.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KHARTOUM (Reuters) -Sudan’s top general declared the military’s commitment to a civilian-led government, an apparent bid for international support days after brutal fighting between his forces and a powerful paramilitary group derailed hopes for the country’s democratic transition. In his first speech since the conflict engulfed Sudan nearly a week ago, army chief Gen. Abdel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6003,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[2401,276,280,562],"tags":[1416,4032,4033,4037,4039,4135,4180,4181,4182,4183,4184,4185,4186],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/SSSDN.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6002"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6002"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6005,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6002\/revisions\/6005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}