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People in Sudan are dying, at the hands of a brutal military which is refusing to hand over power to civilians. And in all this bloodshed, the world must not turn its back on Sudan.
When Omar al-Bashir was unceremoniously ousted from power, there was a hope that power would immediately be conferred to the civilians. But that has not been the case. The intransigence of the military has been frustrating, and deadly. The Sudanese have come to the realization that the military is just not yet ready to give power to civilians.
It has been a disappointing experience for Sudan. From being euphoric, to burying loved ones facing their demise at the hands of a merciless military. The feeling has overwhelmingly been deflating. Democracy is not taking its course, and even though the military had promised to institute civilian rule when al-Bashir was removed from power, they have not yet kept their promise.
Instead, the behaviour of the obstinate military just proves that they are completely unwilling to transfer power to the people. Troops stormed a sit-in demonstration of pro-democracy protesters in Khartoum, resulting in the death of more than 100 people. The demonstrators were simply demanding that the Transitional Military Council (TMC) make way for a civilian body to run the country. The TMC has been running the country since the ouster of Omar al-Bashir.
After the military crackdown, the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) called for a nationwide “civil disobedience” so that it would be difficult for the military to run the country. The SPA led the protests that removed al-Bashir from power. The SPA made it clear that they would continue with the civil disobedience until the ruling military generals “transfer power to a civil transitional authority in accordance with the Declaration of Freedom and Change (DFC).”
But the civil disobedience has been met with brute force as the military tries everything in its might to quell the voice of the people. According to doctors aligned with the opposition, four people have died since the start of the strike. The deaths have been blamed on the ruling military council and paramilitary forces. A total of 118 people have been killed since the crackdown was launched on June 3, and more than 780 have been wounded. However, not all cases are being reported, so these figures could be higher.
The much-feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been responsible for most of the terror in Sudan. The internet is cut off, as well as other means of communication. The military is refusing an offer for talks, fuelling the anger of the people. And deployment of these forces has been extremely heavy, a clear sign of instilling a sense of fear.
“Disobedience is a peaceful act capable of bringing to its knees the most powerful weapons arsenal in the world,” said the SPA. Talks are clearly failing. Some are suggesting that the only way to extricate the country from this turmoil is through elections. But again, will that work? And, is it even possible to get to that stage?
One thing is clear. The world must not turn its back on Sudan. Everyone should be raising their voices in solidarity with the people of Sudan who are facing a mounting barrage of tyranny from a brutal military. Every course of action, with regard to the people, must be top of the agenda for African leaders and other world leaders as well.
It’s a collective effort that is needed, if power is to transfer to the people. It’s also a very grave predicament for the people. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place. But in all their efforts to resist the influence of the military, all they need is world support.
Source: African Exponent