IN THEFIRST WEEKOF JULY, JUSTA MONTH
afterthe bloodycrackdownon peaceful civilianprotest-
ers by the Sudanese militaryandat a timewhenhopesfor
a compromisesolution to the crisisin Sudanwerefading,
theAfricanUnion(A.U.)announced thatthepolitical
impasse hadfinallyended.In talks brokered by the A.U.,
Sudan’srulingmilitary councilandthe coalitionof civil-
ian groupsthathave beenvaliantlyfighting for the res-
toration of democracy agreed to a power-sharing
formula, leadingto theformation of a transitional gov-
ernment. In a developmentthattookobserversof the
regionby surprise, bothsides agreedto the formationof a
jointmilitary-civiliansovereign council.Mohamed El
HacenLebatt,theA.U.mediator,saidthatthecouncil
would“runthe country for threeyearsor slightlymore”.
Oppositionleadershavesaidthatthearrangementwill
lastfor threeyearsandthreemonths.
Theagreement wasannounced a fewdaysafterthe
country witnessedhugeprotests.Theoppositionsaid
that 128 peoplewerekilledon June 3, whenthe protests
began.Theprotestleadershadcalledon thepeopleto
launcha totalcivildisobediencemovement. Thecountry
wasbroughtto a completehaltfor threedaysafterthe
publicresponded to the call.In all, morethan 150 opposi-
tionprotesterswerekilledby themilitary in June. The
crackdownhadbriefly demoralisedthe opposition,send-ingmanyof theprotestleaders underground.Butthe
oppositionquicklyregrouped. Theprotestsin thelast
weekof Juneweresomeof thebiggestthatKhartoum,
the capital,haswitnessedso far.
Thelatestroundof protests, whichoccurredsimul-
taneously in all the majorcities,could havesenta strong
signal to the militaryjunta.Theprotests wereorganised
despitethe closureof the Internetby the authoritiesand
theimpositionof a banon meetingsandpressconfer-
encesof the opposition.EXTERNALPRESSURE
TheA.U.suspendedSudanafterthe armyrefused to cede
powerto civiliansfollowingtheousterof theformer
military ruler,Omaral-Bashir.TheEuropean Unionwas
alsopilingup pressureon themilitaryregime.It has
promisedeconomic assistanceto the countryon the con-
dition thatit transitions to civilianrule.TheDonald
Trumpadministrationhasbeenloathto takea strong
standagainstthemilitaryandhaspreferredto let the
Saudis andthe Emiratistakethe leadin Sudan.President
Trumphimselfhas showed in the lastthreeyearsthathe
is morecomfortabledealingwithstrongauthoritarian
rulers in the regionsuchas General FattahEl-Sisiandthe
Saudi Crown Prince,Mohamad bin Salman. In Libya,the
Trump administration is openly supporting anotherMOHAMEDELHACENLEBATT(left),the AfricanUnionenvoyto Sudan,watchesasGeneralMohamedHamdanDagalo
(second fromleft), deputychief of the militarycouncil, shakeshandswithanarmygeneralfollowinga pressconferencein
KhartoumonJuly 5 in whichthepeaceagreementwas announced.EBRAH
IM
HAMID/
AFP