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The man is on all the airwaves. Daily or almost, he connects political speeches and appearances. No suit and tie or TV set, General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Al-Bourhane prefers to address his troops in fatigues, impeccable shaved heads, and well-trimmed salt and pepper mustache. On Monday, October 11, the head of the Sovereignty Council, the body responsible for overseeing the transition period in Sudan, again harangued a crowd of officers and soldiers gathered in Bahri, north of Khartoum. He demanded the dissolution of the government. A statement that goes against the agreement reached with the civilian parties resulting from the 2019 revolution, which gives the prime minister alone the task of forming the government.
The political crisis had been brewing for months. It was precipitated by the foiled coup attempt on September 21 and fomented, according to the authorities, by the support of ousted president Omar Al-Bashir. “Whether or not the coup d’état is proven, it has proved to be politically useful for the military and civilian components in power since 2019. Some have been able to present themselves as providential men. The others were able to regain the support of the streets after months of unpopularity ”, analysis Magdi El-Gizouli, researcher at the Rift Valley Institute.
Almost immediately after the announcement by state television of the failed coup, General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman Al-Bourhane appeared triumphant in the barracks of the armored division from which the mutiny started. He posed as a “guardian” of the Sudanese revolution, assuring that the army was the only one able to lead the country until the elections scheduled for early 2024. At his side, the vice-president, Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, alias “Hemetti”, commander of the Rapid Support Forces – a powerful paramilitary militia – went even further, accusing ” The politicians ” to be “The main cause of the coup for neglecting the grassroots citizens”. The two men announced that they would no longer sit alongside civilians in the transitional bodies.
“Aggressive rhetoric”
The latter were quick to counterattack. For the first time, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok has allowed himself to publicly criticize the presence of Islamist officers in the ranks of a Sudanese army that General Al-Bourhane refuses to purge to maintain unity and cohesion of the institution. The head of government reiterated his calls for a complete overhaul of the security forces as well as the takeover of companies run by the military under the supervision of his cabinet. In addition to its preponderant political role, the army retains control over many parts of the Sudanese economy (agriculture, telecommunications, mining resources). The defense sector alone represents 12% of the state budget.
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