On the 25th of last month, the army took control of the Sudanese regime, immediately disbanded the government, declared a state of emergency, and detained dozens of politicians and activists headed by Prime Minister Abdullah Hamduk and U.S. President Joe The Biden administration suspended bilateral aid, publicly condemned the military, and issued a clear warning of the military’s use of force to consolidate the consequences of the coup.
From the moment the army seized power, the U.S.’s position on the development of the crisis in Sudan was confusing. On the one hand, Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. special envoy to the Horn of Africa, and the commander-in-chief of the Sudanese army, Abdul Fatah · Burhan held a meeting, and Feltman left Khartoum a few hours after the meeting and a coup took place. This caused widespread anger in Washington and was determined to put pressure on the army to force its withdrawal.
Washington’s focus then shifted to pressure the military to restore the powers of Prime Minister Abdullah Hamduk and his civilian ministers before resuming aid and debt relief discussions. Because of Washington’s significant influence on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Washington has prevented the international community from providing previously agreed development assistance estimated at 4 billion U.S. dollars, and has frozen discussions on debt relief totaling more than 50 billion U.S. dollars.
After news of a new agreement reached by the parties to the political conflict in Sudan came out, the military and civilian parties pledged to work together to complete the democratic road. Washington expressed support for this new agreement. Some commentators said that the agreement is a US diplomatic effort to conflict in Sudan. The result of pressure from all parties and regional players with influence on the Sudanese army.
Washington’s quiet diplomacy
When commenting on the fact that the Sudanese parties learned that the commander-in-chief of the army, Lieutenant General Abdul Fatah Burhan, and the deposed prime minister Abdullah Hamduk reached a new political agreement, former US diplomat Martin Indik Praised Washington’s role and commended the US special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, for the way he responded to the crisis. Indik wrote on Twitter: The United States’ quiet diplomacy pays tribute and appreciation.”
According to David Sheen, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and a scholar at the Middle East Institute in Washington, his country has consistently supported the transition to civilian government and democratic elections.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Shinn stated that Washington “presses the Sudanese government to require Prime Minister Abdullah Hamduk and his civilian ministers to return to their posts, and Molly Faye, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa The lady visited Khartoum last week. At the same time, since the coup, the special envoy of the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, has also visited Sudan many times. Secretary of State Brinken was very clear in the telephone conversation with the Sudanese leader. It clearly shows this.”
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Brinken had conversations with Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdullah Hamduk and Sovereign Council Chairman Lieutenant General Abdul Fatah Burhan. The U.S. State Department stated that Sudan “needs to Washington has made further progress before resuming payment of $700 million to freeze aid.”
In response to the question of whether the United States is prepared to resume the financial assistance that was suspended after the military coup, he replied that it depends on “what happens in the next few hours, days, and weeks.”
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Prime Minister Hamduk’s return to power was an “important first step” after the military arrested him at the end of October, but “that’s it.”
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Fay (left) meets with Mariam Mahdi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan’s dismissed government (social networking site)Will the Sudanese generals comply? ..Washington wants to know!
Sheehan believes that “the main challenge of the latest agreement is to ensure that the generals abide by it, because they are the only party that has weapons and can impose their will by force, but at the same time, they should also worry that the street demonstrators in Sudan are not convinced. They plan to abide by the agreement, which will cause street protests to continue and continue to expand. If we add factors to the deterioration of the economy, this reality will deplete any government in power in Sudan, including a government controlled by a general.”
The ambassador added, “If the Sudanese economy continues to collapse, it will lead to larger-scale street protests and the army may lose control of the situation.”
Although the details are not yet clear, Hamduk will be allowed to form a new government. The election is expected to be held at the end of 2023 or early 2024. There is no consensus on the appointment of a new minister, and this is happening when the army’s popularity among the people is showing. On the occasion of decline.
Jonas Horner, a regional analyst for the International Crisis Group in Africa, believes that the agreement announced on Sunday has greatly weakened the status of Sudan’s civilian government, while Sudan is preparing to hold elections. Horner added that the executive branch “will be untrusted Management, or at least can’t believe that they will provide what the street protesters want.”
The well-known Sudanese political party and powerful protest movement opposed Hamduk’s decision to sign an agreement with the army on Sunday. Some people described it as a “betrayal” and said it “provided political cover for the coup.”
But Hamduk said that a new technocratic government “can help improve Sudan’s economy suffering from a prolonged crisis,” and Sudan has one of the highest inflation rates in the world, and there is a severe shortage of many basic commodities.
Jeffrey Feltman (left) meets with Hamduk in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan (Al Jazeera)Biden’s good time and achievements
It is expected that President Biden will host a virtual democracy summit on December 9th and 10th. He will invite the heads of democratic countries and governments and members of civil society to attend. The former President Donald Trump demonstrated his views on the world’s human rights and freedoms. After ignoring the problem, Biden hopes to improve his national image. Some commentators believe that the situation in Sudan provides a case for President Biden, which can be used to reaffirm his democratic values and respect for human rights all over the world.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Cameron Hudson, the former official in charge of Sudan in the Obama administration and the current Atlantic Council expert, said that Washington has made a lot of diplomatic investment and provided a lot of money to Sudan during the transition period. He also stated that Washington “believes that the Sudanese people have the right to express their opinions and can choose the type of government they like.”
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