General Abdel Fattah al Burhan is struggling to build diplomatic support and cast himself as a statesman, General Abdel Fattah al Burhan, mocked by his adversaries as the basement commander – a reference to his decision to stay in the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) General Command Compound from the start of the war in April until late August – has been using his freedom since then to mobilise diplomatic support against Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo Hemeti .
The opposition FFC urges regional leaders to step up efforts to broker a ceasefire as the battle of attrition increases the prospect of the country s partition
, The warning by the civilian political movement, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), that the formation of rival governments by warring militia groups could lead to Sudan s partition, should push regional leaders and the wider international community to redouble efforts to broker a ceasefire.
Massive demonstrations and killings by the security forces are straining relations in the ruling junta as leaders consider their options, The 33rd anniversary of the coup that brought Omer Hassan el Beshir to power on 30 June 1989 was always going to be a test for both the opposition and the ruling military. The opposition gathered in large numbers in 20 cities to protest the possible return by stealth of Beshir s National Congress Party (NCP), while the intelligence services arrested activists to keep turnout low.
Shorn of political alternatives and determined to remain in power, the junta is falling back on Islamists of all stripes to shore up the regime, Six months after the Sudanese military seized power again, a new reality is taking shape for the junta. Whether it was always part of the military s aims, or simply a consequence of events, Islamists – and not just members of the formerly ruling National Congress Party (NCP) – are being restored to their privileges and taking important government jobs.