Out of all the former colonial African states that formed after the Second World War, Sudan has seen some of the most explosive social and political turmoil. Coup after coup, insurgency after insurgency – the country has been engulfed in almost never-ending struggle since the British Empire and Egypt granted its independence in 1956.
African Union lauds #Sudan on transitional roadmap
The African Union Commission commended Sudan on Wednesday for agreeing on a transitional roadmap with reasonable timing.https://t.co/620ERXVZ4O pic.twitter.com/61kR9EJ9RQ
— ANADOLU AGENCY (ENG) (@anadoluagency) May 15, 2019
And now is no exception.
Protests are raging in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, only a month after former President Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup. The coup leaders promised they would negotiate with civilian officials to form a new government in due time. However, negotiations have all but flopped, with differences in opinion regarding the new government’s staffing turning into violence, chaos, and death.
Western Interests in an African Country
Where there is an African country in turmoil, there is an always opportunity for western governments to spread their influence. Officials from the United States and countries across the European Union have already thrown their support behind the protestors on social media, and many have even visited the demonstrations.
The British Ambassador to Sudan, Irfan Saddiq, posted a video of himself on twitter from the main opposition led sit-in around the Sudanese military headquarters. Saddiq described the demonstration’s purpose as «to impress upon them [the people] the need for everybody in Sudan to reach a consensus about the political transition that we all want to see.»
Then there’s Steven Koutsis, the U.S. Embassy’s Chargé d’Affairesin Khartoum. He’s already met with Omar el-Degair, the leader of the opposition Congress Party, to discuss negotiate «Sudan’s return to civilian rule» – and who knows what else.
Of course, Sudanese officials aren’t the biggest fans of Western diplomats paying visits to opposition gatherings, especially since they haven’t been informing the Sudanese Foreign Ministry. The ministry’s spokesman, Babikir al-Siddiq, stressed that «diplomatic representatives must comply with their obligations in compliance with international conventions, covenants and diplomatic practice» when it comes to attending opposition rallies.
Diplomacy is supposed to be based on mutual respect for each country’s sovereignty. Since when did brokering regime change become part of the job description when applying to become a Western diplomat?
Pro-American coup d`etat?
It’s hard to say – what we do know is that Washington has plenty of experience using diplomacy as a means for toppling governments. In fact, the situation in Sudan is quickly forming a stark resemblance to the Western backed color revolutions all over the world…
As for Sudan, the country already had two bloody civil wars throughout its 63 year existence – it’s unlikely the Sudanese people are looking for another.
It’s frustrating to me that civilian rule is treated by many as the most important thing, although it not even debated or questioned — even if it means we all go to WW3 and collapse. As long as it’s “civilian” governments doing it, it’s considered good. I challenge that assumption. I believe that there are plenty of situations in which the military rank and file stepping in and dissolving a civilian government, especially a bourgeois one, is not only justified but in many cases necessary to break free from a bourgeois dictatorship. Who else would do it? The military in certain imperialist countries should take on this responsibility. Civilian governments are not a beacon of democracy – they are often insane, murderous, corrupt echo chambers filled with the least intelligent among us. Without the military finally deciding to say ‘Enough’ and taking action, regardless of their civilian status, we need to dissolve the government, schedule new elections, and start afresh. We should ban everyone who previously held a seat. The period of military provisional governance need only last a few weeks to a few months. I’m confident that we can handle that. I’m sure we will forgive the military if they do this. In fact, we will owe our lives to them for saving humanity by dismantling an insane and fanatical death cult that happened to be labeled as ‘civilian.’ After all, ‘Workers of the world unite’ – Marxists support a proletarian dictatorship, not a civilian dictatorship. The proletarian class is composed of both civilians in productive industries and military rank and file. Workers and soldiers form the social composition of a proletarian regime. We hold no delusions about or glorify the ‘civilian’ government, seeing it as the ultimate representation.