Weak connections communication 

This week, we are lighting the first candle to celebrate the end of the first year of the glorious Sudanese revolution, which came about as a result of a cumulative action initiated when the banner of democracy fell under the feet of the invaders. Protesters plotted against the democratic government, in order to kidnap the country that we recovered with much effort, from a previous authoritarian regime. Hundreds of men and women, young and old, sacrificed their lives to realise this dream and put an end to the suffering of the Sudanese people, by bringing down the brutal tyranny. It was a long and fierce battle lasting three decades, since June 30 1989, in light of a regime that was insistent on remaining in power, even if it fought in a sea of the Sudanese people’s blood. However, the determination of the youth made the impossible possible, but despite this, the road is still long and the heavy legacy that we inherited is still pressing, as the environment surrounding this revolution is still unclear.

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This week also marks the 100-day anniversary of the formation of the revolution government, which tackled the arduous task of transforming the dreams of revolutionaries into realities on the ground. This was in light of under-prepared conditions, a collapsing economy, politicisation, limited capabilities and widespread corruption. However, regardless of the obstacles, we must take serious action to achieve the national project, which represents the hope of the revolutionaries and the people of Sudan, in general. The government must draw its energy from the spirit of the revolution, and draw inspiration from the sacrifices of the martyrs, facing obstacles with firm unity, solid ranks and unrelenting determination. It is not fair to judge this government on what it has achieved in the first 100 days of its life, as it has barely settled into its position. However, we remember that the government promised us an evaluation after 200 days, in the hopes that this period of time is sufficient for it to complete its emergency program. This gives us the right to assess the situation after half of this period has passed since taking office, and to make general observations about its performance, in order to address the flaws and fix the situation in the remaining 100 days.

The first observation we make is the slow performance of the government, and that its decision-making mechanism requires reconsideration. We should keep in mind that they are a revolution government, and that the revolution is ongoing and escalating. Therefore, any government must keep up with the revolution and the pace at which developments are occurring. However, we have noticed that the government takes a long time to make any decision, or issue any resolution, and this frustrates the people. Look at any ministry you please, and you will find that change occurs very slowly, and we may even find that some have not made any changes at all. Matters are at the pace of the inherited routine, given the absence of a comprehensive state strategy guiding all of the ministers.

We are not calling on the government to make ill-conceived or audacious decisions, nor are we asking the government to rush into the unknown. Instead, we are asking that they establish public policy, and for every minister to work within it to make the change for which the revolution erupted to achieve.

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The second flaw that the government suffers from, which is closely related to the first, is the inadequacy of the government’s communication with its revolutionary bases. These bases should be the government’s source of inspiration. At the same time, the bases represent the environment that embraces the government, and the force that supports its defenders and its accomplishments. This lack of communication has weakened the connection, and is on the verge of exposing the government at a time when it needs the revolutionary forces’ support the most. What is worse, is that the poor communication has given way to false speculation, which has started to cause a chasm within the ranks of the revolutionaries. This will have dire consequences if not immediately remedied. The third flaw, is the restrained ‘marketing’ of the government’s accomplishments, as the government is not good at promoting its achievements. It seems as if it is working as a secret society, hiding the truth from the public, and thus, opening the door to rumours.

These failings will have very severe consequences, unless the government addresses them in the remaining days.

This was first published in Arabic in Alarab, 13 December 2019

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.