Sudan’s Al-Mahdi: Military Council, ‘Forces of Change’ causing counter-revolution

The escalation between Sudan’s Military Council and forces of the “Declaration of Freedom and Change” has “paved the way for the counter-revolution to obstruct the revolutionary process,” head of the Sudanese Umma Party Sadiq Al-Mahdi has said.

This came in a speech by the leader of the opposition national party at the annual fast-breaking held by his party in Sudan’s second city Omdurman on Thursday, according to Anadolu Agency.

Al-Mahdi explained that the escalation by the forces of the “Declaration of Freedom and Change” has also pushed the Military Council to escalate its actions, leading to the revival of counterrevolutionary forces.

He stressed that the general strike – which was held on Tuesday and Wednesday this week – “revived the counter-revolution,” pointing out that the strike made the Military Council “budge from its position”. Al-Mahdi added: “I warn the Military Council against taking the position of overthrown President Omar Al-Bashir.”

He continued: “The Military Council’s move opens wide doors to counterrevolutionary movements or coups by a leftist movement from the Free Officers, as happened in May,” referring to the Free Officers Movement which carried out the 1969 coup led by Gaafar Nimeiry.

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Al-Mahdi also called for the formation of a leadership office of the Forces of Freedom and Change, which seeks to form a civilian government of experts with no partisan allocation and a legislative council.

He identified three negotiation points with the Military Council: a “joint sovereignty council, a joint defense and security council, and an independent judiciary.”

In the last few days, Khartoum and other cities have witnessed protests by employees of government institutions, public and private companies, banks, universities and professional sectors, demanding that the Military Council hand over power Sudan’s civilians.

Since April, thousands of Sudanese people have been protesting in front of military command headquarters in the capital Khartoum to pressure the Military Council to hand over power, amid fears of the military’s circumvention of demands for change, as happened in other countries, according to protesters.

On 11 April, the military command overthrew President Omar Al-Bashir from his position after 30 years in power, under public protests that started late last year denouncing the deteriorating economic situation.

Last week, the Military Council and the Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change failed to reach a final agreement on the percentages of representation in the authority services during the transitional period.

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