Credit: Wikipedia, Maria Dyveke Styve /  AU Conference Center and Office Complex, the African Union’s headquarters complex in Addis Ababa,  Ethiopia

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

The people of Sudan made it clear they don’t want the military in control of the country after the army overthrew the authoritarian government of Sudan President Omar Hassan  al-Bashir.  The former president,  who ruled the Northeast African nation 30 years with an iron grip, was forced from power in a military-led coup on April 11.  Two days later,  Lt. Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan announced that the military would give civil society rule of the country within two years.  The Sudanese people, who waited three decades for the yoke of al-Bashir to be lifted, can wait no longer for democratic rule.  Many Sudanese remain skeptical that the new military coalition will protect the democratic aspirations of people.  The African Union quickly got involved and has been playing an active role to assure that the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people are upheld.  On April 15, the AU’s Peace and Security Council held its 840th meeting on the situation in Sudan, and threatened to revoke country’s membership unless the military establishes civil rule within 15 days.

“The union strongly condemns and totally rejects the seizure of power by the Sudanese military and its plan to lead the transition for two years.”

–Communiqué of the 840th meeting of the PSC on the situation in Sudan

The AU PSC  Further:

“…demands that the Sudanese military step aside and hand over power to a transitional civilian-led political authority, in accordance with the will of the people and constitutional order, within a maximum period of fifteen (15) days from the date of the adoption of the present communiqué, failing which, Council will automatically apply Article 7(g) of its Protocol, in particular the suspension of the participation of the Sudan in all AU’s activities until the restoration of constitutional order.”

Now, the AU is giving Sudan’s military establishment  more time. The AU announced Tuesday it will allow the army three months to transfer power to civil rule. However, the AU warned that this delay should not be prolonged. The meeting convened by the Egyptian Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who is also the Chairperson of the African Union in Cairo attended by the leaders of Chad, Djibouti, Somalia, South Africa, Ethiopia’s deputy prime minister, head of African Union Commission, foreign ministers and presidential envoys of Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan and Uganda, according to the Sudan Tribune.        

Credit: cnn.com /  Former Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir , who  ruled the Northeast African country from October 16, 1993 – April 11, 2019, has been transferred to a maximum security prison.

Source:  BBC.com / AFP/HO/SUDAN TV /     Lt-Gen Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan

United Nations Urges Sudan Military To Remain committed to ‘ensuring stability’ and ‘peaceful transition’

Sudan’s military has an “overarching duty” to refrain from using violence against protesters and ensure that their human rights are protected amid concerns of a further escalation, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet stated,, expressing .concern of  the declaration from the defence minister, that a military council would govern Sudan for up to two years.

Photo by Gary Raynaldo /  Sudanese woman wearing the colors of her flag’s homeland Sudan at an anti-al-Bashir protest in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the United Nations Headquarters in NY City  March 14, 2019 before the former president’s downfall. 

There is growing sentiment in post-al-Bashir Sudan  that the military coalition that overthrew the autocratic leader is not part of the original grass-root protest movement. Many are disappointed that a civilian leader did not replace al-Bashir instead of military leader.