Letter to Sudan

Dear brethren in Sudan,

Allow me to communicate with you through this open letter. 

After unceremonious fall of your long-time despot, Omar Bashir, Sudan has added another feather in its cap. For, it becomes the first country on earth to have three presidents in three days of the same week. So, too, Sudan becomes the first country in Africa to have popular uprising that has stood firm to see to it that its revolution is not stolen.  We all know how revolution was stolen in Egypt, Libya and Zimbabwe. April 2019 goes to the annals of history that there was once a country that had three different presidents in three days as they succeeded each other.

On Wednesday 10th April 2019 Sudan's president was Bashir before Ahmed Awad ibn Auf stepped in on Thursday 11th after the army bowed to the pressure from demonstrators and thereby booted down Bashir. The next day namely 12th, ibn Auf was removed from power after demonstrators accused him of being a Bashir person. On the same day, Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan was sworn in to take over from ibn Auf as the third president within three days of the same week. Sudanese are entering the books of history as the people who were able to overthrow two military despots in 24 hours. This has never been done anywhere on earth.

             Another exceptionality that Sudan enjoys currently is that it has become a first Arab-speaking and self-perceiving country to execute African spring successfully. Burkina Faso was the first to launch its African Spring that saw its long-time despot Blaise Compaore unceremoniously being pulled down before Soon thereafter, Zimbabwe replicated the same by showing its long dictator, Robert Mugabe the door. This means, other sister countries under stinking dictators such as Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Togo, Uganda and others need to take a leaf from Sudan. This said, who will follow after Bashir? Time will accurately and timely tell. 

Dear Sudanese brethren, you have made Africa proud for your bravely and collective actions. Now that the altar of corruption and dictatorship has been brought down, it is time for the nation to embark on its journey to its bright future gallantly. However, your journey is still long and bumpy due to the fact that the army is still droning and rabbiting on the matter as it tries to steal your gains.  For the good of the country, the army ever so quickly needs to abandon its ambitions and ploy of snatching your victory. So, too, make sure that the military is stopping its pieces-and-bits-approach in forming a transitional government made of civilians. Sudan deserves and needs a civilian and secular government as a representative of the people. Whom does the military represent? What has it to offer in addressing the looming problems while it is the same institution that protected and served the status quo? Apart from fulfilling its constitutional duty of protecting the country and its people, what has the army done to deserve to form and preside over the transitional government? What experience does the army have to do so and why?  Keep your eyes on a prize. Avoid replicating what transpired in the neighbouring Egypt or what is currently ongoing in Algeria not to mention what has been destroying Libya.

Dear Brethren, in order to practically and scientifically solve the political, social and economic crises Sudan faces, you need to be right on the money. This is because Bashir was not the only problem but instead, he was the part of it. It started to rain on you when Bashir presided over the split of Sudan not to mention using Islamic hoo-has to lord it over Sudan for 30 years of corrupt, dictatorial and failed government. Thereby the country didn’t only lose its unity and damaged its economy but invited what you are now facing, economic bad performance.

Dear gallant brethren, I congratulate you on bringing down Bashir, who, along with his consigliere and inner sanctum must justly face justice.  Your job has just started to see to it that you uproot all Bashir’s tentacles in the country at all levels. Instead of celebrating the fall of Bashir, you need to know where Bashir is in the so-called safe place so that you can secure him before he flees the country. You need to prepare the system of dealing with him to see to it that justice is done and being seen done so that this can send the signals to others daydreaming that they can take Sudan for a ride. Make sure that like any human beings, Bashir and his cronies get justice in order to bring the closure to the families of the victims of their criminality. There are things you need to consider and address quickly and seriously.

More importantly, address injustices in Darfur, Nuba Mountain, Kordofan and wherever as you think about entering negotiations with South Sudan that was a part of Sudan. I understand your major concerns revolve around economic underperformance. To do away with this, you can utilize your resources that the Bashir regime misused such as oil pipes that South Sudan needs badly to pump its oil to the port. South Sudan has oil and you have oil pipes. You thus need each other even if it means to renegotiate how to unify the two countries based on special agreements and arrangement it is in Tanzania.

Seriously, think about using this victory to write a New Constitution that will guide the country to true and sustainable democracy. In so doing, make sure you create a democratic and secular state in order to avoid replicating the mess of the fallen regime that, essentially is the result of a theomilitary regime. Never turn back. Make sure that Sudan returns back on track to democratic rule that is in power to serve the people but not the pack of hyenas either in military or in the upper echelons of power.  As for the army, it must understand that soldiers are constitutionally there to protect the country whereby they receive orders from the elected civilian government.

Dear Brethren, you are in our prayers and we fully support you knowingly that your success is not only the lesson for Africa but also the success for Africa.

God Bless Sudan

God bless the glorious revolution

Long live Sudan

Long live revolution

A Luta continua

Source: African Executive Magazine, May 21, 2019.