{"id":23933,"date":"2020-03-09T21:39:14","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T21:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jww.org\/?p=23933"},"modified":"2026-02-11T13:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T13:34:07","slug":"sudan-pm-assassination-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jww.org\/site\/sudan-pm-assassination-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"Sudan PM\u2019s assassination attempt a reminder of the challenges ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just under a month ago, in our last JWW blogpost on Sudan, the country\u2019s transitional government was making steady progress, including by expressing its openness to finally <\/span>prioritizing justice<\/span><\/a> for the genocide in Darfur.\u00a0 Earlier today, March 9, the prime minister of Sudan\u2019s transitional government, Abdalla Hamdok, survived an <\/span>assassination attempt <\/span><\/a>when his convoy was attacked in Sudan\u2019s capital city of Khartoum.\u00a0 The stark juxtaposition of these highs and lows reminds us of the complicated, often harrowing, path to democracy.\u00a0 Now more than ever, the Trump administration and the international community as a whole must remain engaged and resolute in supporting Sudan\u2019s critical evolution from brutal authoritarianism to true civilian rule.<\/span><\/p>\n

[maxbutton id=”53″]<\/p>\n

The Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, those at the vanguard of the people\u2019s revolution that toppled Sudan\u2019s tyrannical regime, labeled the blast a \u201cterrorist attack,\u201d calling on the people of Sudan to take to the streets to \u201cshow our unity and cohesion\u2026.and protect the transitional authority.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It remains unclear who perpetrated the attack against Hamdok, a respected former UN economist who was appointed in August of 2019 by Sudan\u2019s Sovereign Council.\u00a0 The Council, the result of a power-sharing deal reached after months of negotiations between the military and the pro-democracy movement, is made up of six civilians and five military officers.\u00a0 Its mandate over the next three years is to navigate the labyrinthine transition and shepherd the nation toward civilian-led government.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hamdok seems genuinely committed to restoring peace and economic stability, but as Sudan\u2019s first post-Bashir leader, he has been navigating the tumultuous, uncharted path to democracy largely on his own, facing stiff resistance from Sudan\u2019s military, Islamists and other former allies of Bashir who still retain a great deal of power.\u00a0 Many on the ground report that despite promising indicators of change, such as progress in talks with rebel groups and willingness to secure <\/span>accountability for various atrocities<\/span><\/a> perpetrated within the country, the usual suspects still very much hold the reigns.\u00a0 This is particularly true of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, long referred to as Hemeti, Bashir\u2019s heir apparent, whom Bashir referred to as \u201cmy protector.\u201d\u00a0 A ruthless commander who has amassed immense wealth, Hemeti is the absolute gatekeeper of the RSF, the current incarnation of the Janjaweed, or \u201cdevils on horseback,\u201d who perpetrated the atrocities in Darfur beginning in 2003.\u00a0 While insiders believe Bashir\u2019s deposal was only possible because Hemedti was unwilling to unleash the RSF on protestors at the height of the protestors\u2019 revolution, he did that very thing in June of 2019, when <\/span>RSF cracked down<\/span><\/a> on a civilian sit-in in Khartoum, killing more than 150 people, dumping bodies in the Nile and raping countless women.\u00a0 Hemeti is Vice Chairman of the Sovereign Council, a reality that perhaps encapsulates most clearly the challenges that lie ahead.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The benefits of transitional efforts have yet to trickle down to the Sudanese people.\u00a0 Nearly a year after genocidal leader <\/span>Omar al-Bashir was ousted<\/span><\/a>, the country is in the grips of a dire economic crisis.\u00a0 Inflation stands at 60%, and the unemployment rate in 2019 was 21.1%, according to the International Monetary Fund.\u00a0 The government has reported that 30% of Sudan\u2019s young people, who comprise more than half of Sudan\u2019s more than 42 million population, are out of work.\u00a0 Moreover, instability still abounds. The Darfur region, the epicenter of the genocide that began in 2003, remains plagued by unrest and attacks on civilians.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just two months ago, an armed revolt from within Sudan\u2019s security forces shut down the capital\u2019s airport and left at least two people dead.\u00a0 Rogue intelligence officers loyal to Bashir attempted to mutiny over the issue of severance pay, leading to clashes in Khartoum before the army quelled the violence.\u00a0 The episode served as an ominous sign of what could happen at any time during this delicate transitional period, while the army and intelligence services still wield enormous power — even with Bashir in prison and promising reforms underway.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hamdok has been making significant strides towards moving Sudan past its status as an international paraiah.\u00a0 In addition to ingratiating himself with officials during diplomatic meetings at the United Nations and in Washington, D.C., Hamdok has begun instituting real reforms.\u00a0 He has taken bold steps to liberalize the economy and made historic, game-changing visits to war-torn areas, including <\/span>Darfur<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>South Kordofan<\/span><\/a>, promising peace to war-beleaguered Sudanese far away from Khartoum.\u00a0 According to <\/span>Foreign Policy<\/span><\/a>, \u201cSome policymakers in Washington and other Western capitals are for the first time in decades cautiously optimistic about Sudan\u2019s future, suggesting that if Hamdok manages to continue his reforms, he could alter Sudan\u2019s image as a global problem child — and perhaps even transform it into a democratic success story.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Hamdok\u2019s unwavering commitment to moving his country beyond its tortured past was evidenced by his remarks immediately following the attempt on his life.\u00a0 He tweeted, \u201cRest assured that what happened today will not stand in the way of our transition, instead it is an additional push to the wheel of change in Sudan.\u201d\u00a0 Hamdok adroitly articulated the level of vigilance that must persist in the face of such threats to democracy. It is imperative that Washington and the international community seize this opportunity to help the Sudanese people realize the democracy they so desperately yearn for and deserve.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, efforts to do exactly this are underway in Congress.\u00a0 On March 6, House leaders introduced the Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability, and Financial Transparency Act of 2020 (<\/span>H.R. 6094<\/span><\/a>).\u00a0 This marks the first comprehensive effort on behalf of the U.S. government to intelligently undergird Sudan\u2019s transitional process in a multi-sectoral, strategic and meaningful way.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If enacted, the legislation will:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n