Sudan: The Deal with the Military Council is a Sell-Out of the Revolution!

 

Emergency Statement of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 08 July 2019, www.thecommunists.net

 

 

 

1.             The Glorious Revolution is in danger of being sold out! The leaders of the Forces of Freedom and Change – formally representing the mass movement against the dictatorship – have made a deal with the Military Council. According to the agreement both sides will form a joint military and civilian sovereign council to lead the country during a transition period of three years and three months. The council will include five civilians representing the opposition and five military members. An 11th seat will go to a civilian chosen by both sides. A military leader will preside over the council for the first 21 months, followed by a civilian after that.

 

2.             This agreement has been reached under massive pressure from the imperialist powers and their regional allies. According to a report by the Associated Press, the Trump Administration as well as the dictatorships of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates demanded that representatives of both the opposition and the military reach such an agreement. (AP: Sudanese say US pressure was key to reaching transition deal, 08.07.2019) The report quotes a Sudanese military official: “The Americans demanded a deal as soon as possible. Their message was clear: power-sharing in return for guarantees that nobody from the council will be tried,” he said, referring to the June 3 crackdown where at least 128 people were killed. The efforts of these reactionary powers culminated in a secret meeting on July 29 at the home of a Sudanese businessman in Cairo. It was attended by protest leaders, Generals Burhan and Hemedti, as well as officials from the U.S., Britain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates where the deal was reached. As a consequence, the opposition leaders have cancelled protest marches against a ruling Military Council that has slaughtered hundreds of activists over the past several months.

 

3.             The Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT) strongly warns that this power sharing deal is a dangerous sell-out by the leaders of the protest movement! We repeat what we said in our last statement that “any negotiations with the army command are a dangerous diversion. Authentic freedom and democracy cannot be achieved through a collaborative effort with the army command – but only by defeating and removing it!” Given the fact that the army command retains a very strong position in the transition council, that all generals remain in place, and that they retain a monopoly of weaponry – they can remove the opposition representatives at any time. Their key supporters are all piloting barbarous dictatorships in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE! Even if they keep the agreement, they have more than three years to create the conditions where any serious opposition force can be weakened, bought-off, or liquidated. If the deal is implemented it would effectively mean that the bourgeois leaders of the opposition will be integrated into the ruling elite and they will sell-out the goals of the glorious Sudanese Revolution in exchange for subordinate positions and personal privileges. It will mean that a new, unelected, military-civilian regime takes power without a shred of democratic control for more than three years.

 

4.             The most important goal for the ruling class – and the most important setback for the people – is that the opposition leaders are now winding down the mass protest movement. Once the workers, youth and poor peasants have been demobilized, the pressure on the elite to make any serious concessions will disappear. It will then be easier for the army command – which will still retain the monopoly of arms – to arrest and suppress any serious opposition.

 

5.             The RCIT strongly denounces the capitulation of the leaders of the Forces of Freedom and Change – including those of the misnamed Sudanese Communist Party (that has been part of this alliance from the beginning).

 

6.             It is urgent that all activists and organizations that seek the democratic goals of the Sudanese Revolution reject this betrayal. They must join forces to continue the mobilizations of the popular masses. They should support efforts to organize workers, youth and poor peasants in popular resistance committees arising in the work places, neighbourhoods, and universities. Likewise, it is urgent that the popular masses build self-defense committees to resist the vicious attacks by the paramilitaries.

 

7.             Most importantly, all revolutionary activists should unite on the basis of an action program and build a revolutionary party as part of a new International. The RCIT looks forward to collaborating with you!

 

* Remove the generals!

 

* For a Revolutionary Constituent Assembly!

 

* For a workers and poor peasants government!

 

 

 

International Bureau of the RCIT

 

 

 

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The RCIT has published several documents on the Sudanese Revolution:

 

RCIT: Sudan: Fight Back against the Generals with a General Strike! International solidarity with the Sudanese people! 04 June 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/sudan-fight-back-against-the-generals-with-a-general-strike/

 

Yossi Schwartz: Sudan: Down with the Military Dictatorship! 03.06.2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/down-with-sudan-s-military-dictatorship/

 

RCIT: Algeria and Sudan: Two Important Victories and a Warning. No trust in the army command and the old elite! Continue the Revolution! 11 April 2019, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/first-victories-in-algeria-and-sudan/

 

RCIT: Sudan: Bring Down the Regime of Omar al-Bashir! Organize Committees of Action! For a General Strike and Popular Insurrection to bring down the Regime! For a Workers and Poor Peasants Government! 28 December 2018, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/africa-and-middle-east/sudan-bring-down-the-regime-of-omar-al-bashir/