Is it the dawn of a new era in Sudan? We can't say for sure

The Sudanese are rightly skeptical as the military remains the deep state in Khartoum.

By Abdulrahman Al Rashed (Geopolitix)

Published: Mon 15 Apr 2019, 8:35 PM

Last updated: Mon 15 Apr 2019, 10:36 PM

The change which seemed impossible once is happening in Sudan. Yet on the face of it, I find it difficult to judge events. My doubt could be exaggerated, but it stems from the past experiences and reality that surrounds us.
I cannot forget the day after the coup d'état on June 30, 1989, when Omar Al Bashir came to power. In the morning, I went to see then-Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak with my colleague Abdellatif El-Menawy. The meeting was also attended by Osama Al Baz, advisor to the president, and Safwat Al Sharif, Minister of Information.
The conversation started with the coup in Sudan and discussion on who could be behind it. I asked Mubarak whether Egypt had anything to do with the change, citing that MENA, official Egyptian news agency, was the first to broadcast the news. Although Mubarak did not give a straightforward answer, he was sure that the coup in Khartoum was in Egypt's favour. He believed that it was good news and welcomed it.
The Egyptian government, in fact, initially thought that the putschists were affiliated with Egypt.
The toppled government of Sadiq Al Mahdi, who had been popularly elected, did not appreciate the consequences of its political decisions, and made many mistakes, including rapprochement with Iran, which angered its three most important allies - Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United States. In addition, it decided to negotiate with the southerners before it guaranteed enough support at home.
The truth about the coup surfaced later and Cairo was the last to know what had happened in Khartoum. The military coup was organised by the National Islamic Front, a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood - an enemy of Egypt and Mubarak. It was led by late Hassan Al Turabi.
The group chose Brigadier General Bashir as its face because he was a member of the movement. However, the NIF continued to pull the strings instead of the government for a while. Turabi divulged all these details later, including the fact that he asked Bashir on the night of the coup to put him in prison to create a smokescreen that obscures his plot.
Bashir ruled Sudan for 30 years and committed all unimaginable crimes. In order to stay in power, he sold everything - oil and the southern part of the country. He hosted terrorists such as Bin Laden, Carlos, Hezbollah and Iran. Sudan witnessed increased poverty, disintegration, polarisation, and wars during Bashir's regime. So, will the country fare better after his departure?
We can only be optimistic and wait. Bashir and Turabi have deceived the world. The Sudanese are rightly skeptical if this is truly the dawn of a new era or if political games will be played again. Bashir has been removed. The military now has the primary task of establishing a civil rule. They must prove that they will keep their promises of handing over the power to civilians.
They have made a number of positive decisions, including the abolition of partial fronts in the government, in which the former ruling party had nestled. Yet, the Islamic group remains the deep state in Khartoum.
-Asharq Al Awsat
Abdulrahman Al Rashed is the former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al Awsat