United States Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman (Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
The United States remains concerned about Sudan’s “democratic trajectory” amid last week’s military takeover of the transitional government, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman said Tuesday. Ambassador Feltman held a briefing with the international press speaking in Washington DC to discuss his recent visit to the region that included Sudan. Feltman said the U.S. supports the Sudanese people in their call for a civilian-led transition to democracy, in accordance with the Sudanese Constitutional Declaration. Sudan’s security forces fired live rounds and tear gas at pro-democracy protesters, killing at least three people over the weekend, according to the BBC. Sudanese military coup leader Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan dissolved civilian rule last week.
“We remain extremely concerned about Sudan’s democratic trajectory after the military takeover. Sovereign Council Chair Burhan and his military supporters have hijacked and betrayed the aspirations of the Sudanese people for a peaceful, democratic country, as evidenced by the 2019 peaceful revolution and enshrined in that year’s Constitutional Declaration. The international community – from the African Union to the Arab League to the UN Security Council to the international financial institutions – have signaled loudly their deep concern about the military’s unconscionable actions, and we join them in calling for the immediate restoration of democratic governance in Sudan.”
-U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman
The Horn of Africa ambassador said the U.S. has been clear in its position regarding the coup. “The military cannot choose their civilian partners in the framework of a transitional government, just as the civilians also cannot choose their military partners. Neither side can out-sideline the other. Both have important roles to play in the transition.”
U.S. Urges General Burhan to Restore The Government
“As public servants and representatives of the will of the Sudanese people, the military and civilian leaders committed to work together to deliver on the democratic ambitious of the Sudanese people, and we call on General Burhan to take the steps to restore the government. We urge the military to release all civilians detained in connection with the unacceptable events of October 25th, and to ensure that any who have been injured receive necessary medical care without interference. We mourn the dozens who were killed or wounded during the protests over the weekend, but we also commend those members of the security forces who exercised restraint and upheld their obligations to respect human rights and citizens’ rights to demonstrate peacefully.”
U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman
U.S. Takes General Burhan’s Statements on Having Elections With A Grain of Salt
A journalist asked Ambassador Feltman if he had faith in General Burhan’s claim that he would still intend to transition to elections in 2023 and would like Abdalla Hamdok to be prime minister in a transitional government.
“General Burhan in his statements has said that he is committed to the Constitutional Declaration of 2019, that he’s committed to moving towards elections, and all of that’s fine in terms – as far as statements go. And of course Prime Minister Hamdok is an important player representing the civilian side of the civilian-military partnership. But this is more than just about Prime Minister Hamdok. It’s about the military-civilian partnership that was forged out of that peaceful revolution in 2019 and it’s about the spirit and the letter of what the military and the civilians agreed the transition should look like – how they would manage the transition. So if General Burhan wants to have his statements about elections and the Constitutional Declaration be considered credible, he needs to allow the civilian government to resume its work and to look for mechanisms to address what he says are his concerns, in line with that civilian-military partnership that came out of the 2019 revolution.” – U.S. Special Envoy for Horn of Africa .
U.S. Working with the Emiratis, African Union, Egyptians, and UN to Help Restore Democracy in Sudan
The Horn of Africa envoy addressed a reporter’s question about what role is the UAE playing in the negotiation between Prime Minister Hamdok and the Sudanese army. Ambassador Feltman said the U.S. has been in touch with the Emiratis, the African Union, the Egyptians, with the UN, and with representatives of other countries “who are interested and committed to supporting the transition in Sudan, to helping the Sudanese people achieve their aspirations to overcome the legacy of Omar Bashir and chart a democratic path forward.”
“I think the Emirates share our concern about the stability in Sudan” – Feltman
“Our analysis is that the stability in Sudan depends on restoring that partnership between the civilians and the military that was part of the transition; that the current situation is not going to contribute to the type of stability that’s in the interest of the region,” ambassador Feltman said. “And I think if you wanted to talk to the Emirates about their own diplomacy, that would be fine. I’m not going to characterize their own diplomacy, but I will assure you…that we are in touch with a number of countries, including the Emirates, about what we would like to – what we believe is necessary to restore that civilian-military partnership.”
Feltman, a former United Nations official and seasoned diplomat, was appointed by President Biden as the U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa in May. The appointment came amid growing U.S. concern over the volatile situation in Ethiopia, including the conflict in Tigray; escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Sudan. And now add Sudan to the mix.
