Sudan Engages Peaceful Transition After Crisis−But Challenges Abound
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UK £2 Issue 219, Year 5 August 25, 2019 EU €2.50 www.thearabweekly.com Elections Political Iran’s dubious in Tunisia Islam in connection France with Houthis Pages 6,8 Page 12 Pages 4,6 Sudan engages peaceful transition after crisis − but challenges abound ► Achieving a peaceful outcome to Sudan’s conflicts and resolving the economic crisis are the twin priorities of newly appointed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Mohamed Aboelfadl tion was focused on two issues: the peaceful transfer of power to civil- ian authority and reaching a com- Cairo prehensive peace. She pointed out that many inter- udan began implementing national powers tied the provision transitional arrangements of economic aid to Sudan to pro- after the swearing-in of the gress made on the issue, as well as S 11 members of the Sovereign dealing with crises resulting from Council and Prime Minister Abdalla the large number of refugees and Hamdok. displaced persons and the inequita- The country is set to work on ma- ble distribution of wealth. jor crises left by the 30-year rule of Sudan has received aid pledges ousted President Omar al-Bashir from many countries. Saudi Arabia and to capitalise on the people ral- and the United Arab Emirates were lying in addition to the strong re- at the forefront of foreign countries gional and international support delivering on such promises. for the power-sharing agreement Nearly bankrupt, Sudan needs to between the Transitional Military address the dire economic situation Council and the Forces of Freedom at the root of much of its turmoil. and Change. “With the right vision, with the Sudanese General Abdel Fattah right policies, we will be able to ad- al-Burhan, who headed the military dress this economic crisis,” Hamdok Historic moment. Sudan’s new Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok speaks during a news conference in council, was sworn in as chairman promised. Khartoum, August 21. (AP) of the Sovereign Council. The new government is count- Hamdok, a UN senior economist, ing on having Sudan removed from was selected to lead the 39-month the US terrorism list and on ending dan on the US terrorism list. ing the transitional period. But in A large segment of the Sudanese transitional government and will the effects of economic sanctions to “The sooner the government jockeying for those roles, they are population is optimistic that bal- effectively start tackling the coun- facilitate the flow of aid and invest- makes rapid progress towards peace, aware of the general consensus in anced external relations will be es- try’s many unresolved crises. He ment in Sudan. the more it will receive foreign aid Sudan in favour of excluding former tablished by Khartoum away from said he was giving top priority to Khartoum has received positive and the sooner it implements real regime figures from the political the ideologically slanted connec- achieving a comprehensive peace signals from Washington since al- economic solutions and citizens feel process and holding them account- tions sought by al-Bashir’s regime. and will need all the African experi- Bashir’s ouster but the Trump ad- that there is real change,” Tijani said. able for misdeeds under al-Bashir. Towards that end, the announced ence he has to end conflicts in Dar- ministration has yet to take concrete There is also wariness in Khar- US Representative Jim McGov- agreement seems to have given fur, Kordofan and Blue Nile. steps towards lifting the sanctions, toum about risks posed by support- ern, a Massachusetts Democrat, Sudan a sizeable advantage. The Tamador al-Tayeb, an academic preferring to wait to make sure there ers of the Islamic Movement and expressed “grave concerns” about United States, Norway and Britain at the Institute for Diplomatic Stud- are no setbacks to the process. the former regime and the chance whether officials associated with welcomed the progress made. “The ies in Khartoum, said: “All parties Sudanese researcher Hamid Tijani they may try to sabotage the power- the former regime “will prove trust- appointment of a civilian-led gov- should take advantage of the cur- said that after the transition agree- sharing agreement. Many of those worthy partners given their history ernment presents an opportunity to rent consensus… What lies ahead ment there is overwhelming expec- groups’ leaders openly rejected the of violence, repression, corruption rebuild a stable economy and create is a tough period of negotiations to tation the United States will move agreement and vowed to disrupt its and bad faith.” a government that respects human take care of the pending issues and quickly to remove Sudan from its implementation. Observers said members of the rights and personal freedoms,” they reassure the marginalised regions.” terrorism list. Some Sudan experts said that former establishment share a strong said in a statement. Tayeb insisted that the attention Tijani said Hamdok will not allow such threats can be understood in tendency to yield to the new au- of the international community extremist forces on Sudanese soil, the context of Islamist leaders’ de- thorities’ decisions and to avoid the Mohamed Aboelfadl is an Egyptian since the beginning of the revolu- which had led to the placing of Su- sire to seek some political role dur- repeat of previous mistakes. writer. Attack on Turkish convoy in Syria strains Ankara’s alliance with Moscow Thomas Seibert Turkey might lack necessary lever- tured the town from rebels and to Turkey’s growing dependence While Russia is Assad’s main age to change Russia’s approach in began encircling enemy positions on Russia following the recent pur- backer, Turkey has been supporting Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in south of it, the Syrian Observatory chase of the Russian S-400 missile rebel groups fighting Syrian govern- Istanbul Syria after more than eight years for Human Rights said. defence system by Ankara. ment forces. In recent years, Russia of war and an area crammed with 3 Damascus said authorities “The delivery of the Russian- and Turkey had pushed their differ- urkey and Russia have co- million people. opened a “humanitarian corridor” made S-400 missile systems to Tur- ences to the side as they teamed operated for years in Syria Reports said tens of thousands of so civilians from the besieged rebel- key ties the hands of Ankara to re- with Iran in the so-called Astana despite conflicting interests civilians in Idlib started to move to- held area in northern Hama prov- sist [the Idlib] regime offensive in a process to end the Syrian war. The T in the war but attacks on a wards the Turkish border as fighting ince can move to parts of the coun- tough way and react harshly against Astana trio hopes that a constitu- Turkish military convoy and a Turk- drew closer. try controlled by the government. Moscow’s turning a blind eye to the tional committee for Syria can start ish observation post in Idlib prov- A Russian-backed Syrian govern- developments on the ground,” Has work next month. ince put unprecedented pressure ment advance in Idlib is squeez- wrote in response to questions. “An- However, the attack on the convoy on the alliance between the two ing Turkey’s position in the region. Under the agreement with kara might have to leave the ninth exposed deep differences between powers. Concerns by Ankara about a new Russia last September, military point in Idlib,” he added in Ankara and Moscow. As Turkey Syrian government air strikes hit influx of refugees led to a Turkish- Turkey was to rein in Islamist reference to the observation post in protested the attack on the convoy, near the Turkish convoy August 19 Russian agreement last year that fighters in Idlib, a region Morek. Russian President Vladimir Putin re- as it approached front lines in Idlib. was supposed to stabilise the situ- dominated by the Hayat The escalation in Idlib came amid affirmed his support for Assad. Ankara said the convoy was on its ation in Idlib but the attack on the Tahrir al-Sham militia. speculation about an impending “We support the efforts of the way to one of 12 Turkish observa- convoy raises doubts about the vi- Russia and Syria say Turkey Turkish military incursion into Syrian Army… to end these terror- tion posts in the province when the ability of that deal. has not lived up to its north-eastern Syria. Ankara said it ist threats,” Putin told French Presi- vehicles, which numbered about 40 The Turkish Defence Ministry commitments under the deal. is determined to push Syrian Kurd- dent Emmanuel Macron during a and included tanks, Agence France- said the attack on the convoy vio- ish fighters from the border there. meeting August 19 in France, add- Presse reported, came under attack. lated Ankara’s agreements with The recovery of those areas Talks between Turkey and the Unit- ing: “We never said that in Idlib ter- Three days later, Turkey’s state- Moscow, which had been informed would mark an important gain for ed States, which backs the Kurdish rorists would feel comfortable.” run news agency said a Turkish ob- in advance about the convoy. Three Syrian President Bashar Assad in People’s Protection Units militia, Under the agreement with Russia servation post in Idlib came under civilians were killed and 12 wound- the north-western region. A series about the establishment of a “secu- last September, Turkey was to rein “harassing fire” by Syrian govern- ed, Ankara said. of truces brokered via Russian- rity zone” appear to have irked the in Islamist fighters in Idlib, a region ment jets. The Anadolu Agency re- Syrian state media said the dis- Turkish talks has failed to end the Kremlin, Has said.