By Dr. Ahmed Gumaa Siddiek
Some people wonder where Hamdok derives his authorization to act on behalf of Sudan. This question is often raised following each success achieved by Hamdok with his team in (TAQADDUM or GAHT). Implicitly, the question carries deep envy, as if we have truly become a people who do not love success in any form and do not celebrate it. What has become of us? Have our eyes become blind to entirely see beauty?
In my opinion, it does not require much effort to say that Hamdok has been authorized by the Sudanese people since he was nominated to be the Prime Minister of the transitional period. His selection was a mandate for the man, not an honor, as the position does not add any additional length or width to Hamdok’s stature. We have not seen any change about the man becoming swollen with pride or arrogance, as many individuals do in such positions.
Hamdok left his comfortable seat and his dollar salary to undertake a national mission for which he was qualified. He has held positions and roles that qualified him to competently manage this position. Since his auspicious arrival, we have seen our country beginning to breathe with joy after our breath was stifled for a third of a century. We used to be ranked among the World Nations in the bottom in everything beautiful thing and excel in everything ugly.
In their first days, Hamdok and his men spoke about the economy and stated that the problem with Sudan’s economy is the structure of the economy itself, the (macro economy), and they began to address the problem. Some of the measures were harsh when the government dared to lift subsidies from some goods… a measure that, were it not for the people’s understanding of its positive long-term results, could have toppled the revolution in one day. But the revolutionary people understood that the cure might be bitter but necessary.
Yes, the problem with the Sudanese economy, and still is, lies in the structure of the economy itself, as a homeowner wants to paint the walls or install electricity or lay tiles, but the matter cannot be straightened if the roof is leaking throughout the rain season. What Hamdok, his finance ministers and advisors did, was to start repairing the roof, so that it would be safe to sit under it and work on installing electricity, painting, and tiling. The results were positive, as the international community, through its financial institutions, realized the seriousness of these revolutionaries and the maturity of their thinking. This was evident from the first Paris conference in May 2021, where at the very least, a large portion of Sudan’s debts were dropped, some rescheduled, and Sudan was granted the authority and right to borrow from international financial institutions to reform the economy, attract investments, which had left and refused to enter Sudan since the ominous nationalization policy that was adopted by Nimeiri in his disastrous coup in 1969.
Then Sudan was removed from the blacklist, speculation in the dollar stopped, the exchange rate stabilized, and the Sudanese pound began to recover, leading to a decrease in real estate prices, cars, and some consumer goods, and the Central Bank of Sudan began to sell the dollar in auction the market…
My lords, we have indeed crossed to the safe land.
We have indeed, entirely crossed safely.
You may remember that, the Prime Minister was on his way to Madrid in the same week when the Burhan coup took place on 25-10-2021. The Prime Minister was on his way to discuss issues with Spain regarding the entire Sudanese infrastructure, and then he would have flown to Germany to sign contracts with (Siemens) in a project to treat Sudan’s electricity for good. But hatred and envy filled the hearts of the envious, and they instructed their leader to cut off the road with that coup, and extinguished one of the millions of candles that were illuminating the tunnel.
The framework agreement project was the end of the struggle for power, and the Rapid Support Forces signed what was stated in the frameworks, and we were about to see Burhan signing too, but the Islamists realized that this was the actual end of their project in Sudan, so they rushed to the coup. And here we are still facing its consequences now and tasting its bitterness. It is now clear to us that the three factions do not have any program to exit this dark tunnel because they really do not want this war to come to an end:
– The Islamists:
They fully realized that their star had faded when those millions of demonstrators adorned the streets of Khartoum and all the cities of Sudan; aa a clear rejection of their failure project that lasted thirty years of killing, looting, plundering, and squandering public money. They ignited this war, not to reclaim their lost power, as some might think – as it became impossible for them to return to rule in any form – but they ignited it in revenge against this people who uprooted them from their roots, thinking that authority would remain in their hands forever…
What the Islamists are doing now is just fueling the flames of war to prolonging it, only as revenge against a people who entirely rejected their existence in any form of rule. They do not care how long this war will continue, as they are far from it. They have secured themselves and their families outside the line of fire, just as Burhan did with his family in Turkey – outside Sudan, with their previous balances available in banks in those countries… They no longer care as long as their sons and daughters are safe, continuing their studies in the finest schools and universities abroad. And as long as their respectable women shop with Visa and Mastercard in the finest contemporary stores between Dubai and Istanbul. Yes, they made the war, and they even brought some more fuel to it by tempting the young people in the Sudan to enlist, arming them without training, to fight on their behalf, falsely and deceitfully launching a war of “dignity”.
The war will – unfortunately – continue because embers only burn the foolish, and they are not anywhere near the embers now, but their feet are on grass, silk, and water. They are far away from it and are managing it by deputation… All people in Sudan say “No to war” while they shout “War should not stop,” because they themselves are not touched by this “war” in any way, shape, or form.
· Isn’t it surprising that someone demands the continuation of war?
· Is this normal?
· Doesn’t that contradict the nature of things?
– Burhan and the clique of high-ranking officers:
These generals will also continue to fuel the flames of war until the Day of Judgment because stopping or halting the war is not in their interest, as the people of the Sudan will call upon them to stand before the judges of history who do not forgive – whether time is long or short – they must stand one day before the judges of history… The rest of the story is will be obscure to everyone… If the war stops, to these generals this is (a frightening idea), it makes them tremble with fear from head to toe, as it means the end of power and wealth, and then the inevitable fate after fair trials. By the Will of God, they will go into similar trails of Nuremberg and will be witnessed by the whole world. The generals will continue to invest in this war and prolong its duration because they fear facing the inevitable fate.
– The Rapid Support Forces:
It is a militia based on looting and robbery, and if necessary, cold-blooded murder, and this is what exactly did. It is a power that is not qualified to govern due to its tribal formation and the lack of administrative cadres or technocrats among them. The goal of the Rapid Support Forces is to fight to obtain booty, so all they do is invade cities and villages and plunder what they can, then take refuge there for a day or two for more plunder, and then flee to another looting journey. The Rapid Support Forces practically control a wide swath of land, but they cannot establish governments or administrations in these territories for two reasons: first, because they do not want to reside in these territories due to their inability to manage them and due to the lack of administrative and technical staff to lead the work in these occupied territories. And the second reason, as we said, is that these are Bedouin groups that do not have the stability to begin with, but rather killing, looting, and fleeing.
Now, the primary role remains for civilians who came out and called for peace, freedom, and justice, and demanded that the army should return to barracks and the Janjaweed should be be dissolved. They only have peaceful tools to fight with, but these tools were strong enough to threaten the throne of tyranny and brought it down forever. The civilian faction is ultimately victorious, and they do not need authorization. Every Sudanese – seeking the good of Sudan – is necessarily authorized to speak up, demand, and work to establish democracy and civilian rule.
What Hamdok and his team are doing does not require authorization from anyone. let it say it is a volunteering work, and practically it is. These people voluntarily account their job for the sake of the Sudan. Is there any objection to that?
