Wake-up call: Present Intervention Is Not New

By Consultant/Engineer Omer Al-Bakri Abu-Haraz

To those who are denouncing the international intervention in the present political stalemate in Sudan and bestowing the responsibility of the intervention on Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) – Central Council Faction -. I just want to take them with me I a ride down the recent history of Sudan since independence 67 years ago.
In the ride they will be enlightened by 10 previous international intervention perpetrated by all regimes – civilian or military – since then.
The first was by Egypt when they encouraged the graduates to form a political party under the slogan of unity with Egypt after independence. A political party was born under the name National Unionist Party (NUP) under the leadership of Ismail Al-Azhari.
The second intervention in the Sudanese political affair came from Britain – the partner with Egypt in the Condominium Colonization of Sudan(1898 – 1956).
To balance the equation of governance in Sudan after independence and to distance Sudan from any form of unity with Egypt, the British rulers encouraged and assisted the Mahdia Ansar Sect to form a political Party under the slogan of Sudan for the Sudanese only,
The Umma Party was born under the auspices of Imam Abdul Rahman Al-Mahdi.
Since their founding the two parties were at logger-head. They did not work on setting and agreeing on national constants like protection, observing and respecting civilian democratic rule and the safe rotation of power. Umma party failed in the first test of rotation of power when the then incumbent Prime Minister of Umma Party, Abdallah Khalil relinquished power to the army. He asked General Abboud , Army Commander-in-Chief to take over on 17th November 1958. It was the date of the parliament session to cast a vote of non-confidence on his government and reinstating his NUP rival Ismail Al-Azhari as P.M.
The third catastrophic intervention also came from Egypt when the Egyptian regime of late President Abdul Nasir twisted the arms of the then nascent military rulers of Sudan to accept the construction of the high Dam at the northern border of Sudan and Egypt at a very law financial compensation which constituted less then 25% of the damages to Sudan – the displacement of all inhabitants of Halfa and their resettlement in a new site together with the loss of all invaluable antiquities of the great civilization of the Kush and Meroe kingdoms and the adverse climate change in the area below the dam.
The fourth intervention was May 25th 1969 coup, when Egypt played a crucial role in the coup. The coup was staged by 9 officers and one civilian. President Nimeiri leading the coup, Lt. Col. Khalid Hassan Abbas, Majors Abul Gasim Ahmed Ibrahim, Zain Al-Abdeen Mohamed Abdul Gadir and Mamoun Awad Abu Zaid were leftist admiring the Egyptian movement of Free Officers headed by Abdul Nasir. Vice President of the Military Command Council Babikir Awadallah and Major Abul Gasim Hashim, were National Arab Movement members.
Lt. Col. Babikir Al-Nour and Major Hashim Al-Atta were communists and the tenth Major Farouq Hamdallah was leftist inclined to communists.
President Abdul Nasir of Egypt was an influential coach to the rulers of May regime.
The fifth intervention also from Egypt when they recognized the military Islamic coup of Al-Bashir on June 30th, 1989 at the onset of declaration.
Egypt convinced Saudi Arabia, UAE and other countries to recognize the coup. This early recognition was the main reason for the success of the Islamic coup.
The sixth intervention was on 1990 – 1991 when late Dr. Turabi established the Arab-Islamic Congress with Sudan as a hub. In 1992 – 1994 he rallied the most global Islamic Terrorist rulers and leaders of fanatic Islamic Movement like Hikmatyar, Ben Laden , Ahamed ShahMasood, Ayman Zawahri of Afghanistan, Zindani of Yemen, Ghanoushi of Tunisia and Yusuf Garadawi of Egypt, plus may others. This intervention led America to put Sudan in list of States Sponsoring Terrorism in 1993 and afterwards the severe economic sanctions on 1997.
The seventh intervention was under Chapter VII of UN Charter UNSC Resolution 1769 on July 31, 2007 which led to the UN military troops – about 24000 – intervention in Darfur region under the name of UNAMID, following the confirmed atrocities and military operations by the Sudanese Army against the civilians of Darfur which resulted in the Internal Displacement of millions of people (IDPs).
The Eighth intervention was in the brokering and ratification of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on January 2005 in Naivasha, Kenya. International intervention was the main driving force in the negotiations especially the Troika, USA, UK and Norway. The CPA led to the secession of South Sudan on July 2011.
The nineth intervention was on the signing of Juba Peace Agreement pn October 2020. International intelligence and experts played a crucial role in the drafting of the articles of the agreement. Now, the Juba Peace Agreement with its ambiguous articles is considered one of main causes of the present impasse creating new resistance movements in the East of Sudan plus rekindling of civil tribal wars in Darfur.
The tenth intervention is the ongoing Framework Agreement brokered by the intervention of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UMITAMS). The AU and IGAD – the Trilateral Mechanism, plus the Quadruple of USA, UK, KSA and UAE.
UNITAMS formed by the adoption of UNSC Resolution 2524 on Jan. 3rd, 2020 in response to a request by the then P.M. Dr. Hamdok. Resolution renewed till June 3rd, 2023 by UNSC Resolution No. 2569and 2636.
So it is only wise to accept the Framework after enlarging the partners by accepting all factions of the FFC 2 – Democratic Bloc. Barricading behind the slogan of No to International intervention is not logical and dangerous.