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US Congress Approves Law Supporting ‘Democratic Transition’ in Sudan

US Congress Approves Law Supporting ‘Democratic Transition’ in Sudan
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US Congress Approves Law Supporting ‘Democratic Transition’ in Sudan

US Congress Approves Law Supporting ‘Democratic Transition’ in Sudan

The US Congress approved Friday a bill that supports the democratic transition in Sudan, tightens oversight of the Sudanese security and intelligence forces, and includes an assessment of the country's security sector reforms by the Sudanese government, such as dismantling militias and strengthening civilian control of the military forces.

It also expresses the lawmakers’ substantial support for providing aid to facilitate the political transition in Khartoum. This bill has been called the Sudan Democratic Transition, Accountability and Fiscal Transparency Act of 2020, and it enjoys broad support from both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Accordingly, it was included in the Defense Financing bill that Congress passed with a great bipartisan consensus. The draft law requires the State Department to submit a report on its strategy, including the goals of the United States for a peaceful political transition in Sudan, and the plan it will adopt to achieve these goals.

In addition, the bill requires an assessment of the reforms needed to promote human rights and accountability, and a description of the efforts to achieve these reforms, in addition to another assessment of security sector reforms in the country by the Sudanese government, such as dismantling militias, and strengthening civilian control of the military.

According to the text of the bill, lawmakers ask the US president to provide support for efforts to protect human rights, extend the rule of law and democratic governance, in addition to supporting programs aimed at providing economic growth and the productivity of the private sector.

It also pushes for support of strategies aimed at enhancing opportunities for long-term peace and stability, and the accountability of Sudanese security and intelligence forces.

The draft text adds, “upon certification that Sudan has taken steps to improve fiscal transparency, the Department of the Treasury and the State Department must engage with international financial institutions to restructure, reschedule, or cancel the sovereign debt of Sudan.”

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Syrians Commemorate Uprising Anniversary for First Time Since Assad's Fall

This is the first celebration of the Syria's 2011 uprising since the fall of Bashar al-Assad (AFP/Bakr ALKASEM)
This is the first celebration of the Syria's 2011 uprising since the fall of Bashar al-Assad (AFP/Bakr ALKASEM)
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20
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Syrians Commemorate Uprising Anniversary for First Time Since Assad's Fall

This is the first celebration of the Syria's 2011 uprising since the fall of Bashar al-Assad (AFP/Bakr ALKASEM)
This is the first celebration of the Syria's 2011 uprising since the fall of Bashar al-Assad (AFP/Bakr ALKASEM)

Syrians gathered on Saturday to commemorate the 14th anniversary of their uprising in public demonstrations in Damascus for the first time since president Bashar al-Assad was toppled.

The demonstration in Damascus's Umayyad Square is the first in the capital after years of repression under Assad, during which the square was the sole preserve of the ousted president's supporters.

Activists also called on people to gather in the cities of Homs, Idlib and Hama at demonstrations under the slogan "Syria is victorious".

By the afternoon, dozens of people had gathered in the capital's Umayyad Square, amid a heavy security presence and with military helicopters overhead dropping leaflets bearing the slogan "there is no room for hate among us".

Security forces were stationed at all entrances to the square, with some of them handing out flowers to demonstrators while speakers blared revolutionary and Islamic songs, AFP reported.

Many attendees waved the Syrian flag -- officially changed from one used under Assad to the design from the independence era -- and held signs reading "the revolution has triumphed".

Hanaa al-Daghri, 32, was among those in the square and told AFP "what is happening now is a dream we never dared to imagine".

"I left Damascus 12 years ago because I was wanted, and I would have never had any hope of returning were it not for the liberation," she said.

"We are missing many friends who are no longer with us, but their bloodshed brought us to where we are today."

Under bright sunlight, Abdul Moneim Nimr, 41, stood surrounded by his friends who raised a large flag and began dancing and singing.

"We used to celebrate the anniversary of the revolution in northern Syria and today we are celebrating in Umayyad Square. This is a blessed victory," he said.

Syria's conflict began with peaceful demonstrations on March 15, 2011, in which thousands protested against Assad's government, before it spiralled into civil war after his violent repression of the protests.

This year's commemoration marks the first since Assad was toppled on December 8 by opposition factions.

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who headed the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which spearheaded the offensive, has since been named interim president.

Hundreds also gathered at the main square in the opposition's former stronghold of Idlib, an AFP journalist saw, raising the flags of Syria and HTS amid a heavy security presence and despite the Ramadan fast and relatively hot weather.

On Thursday, Sharaa signed into force a constitutional declaration regulating a five-year transition period before a permanent constitution is to be put into place.

Analysts have criticised the declaration, saying it grants too much power to Sharaa and fails to provide sufficient protection to the country's minorities.

It also came a week after Syria's Mediterranean coast, the heartland of Assad's Alawite minority, was gripped by the worst wave of violence since his overthrow.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, security forces and allied groups killed at least 1,500 civilians, mainly Alawites, in the violence that began on March 6.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said on Friday: "It is fourteen years since Syrians took to the streets in peaceful protest, demanding dignity, freedom and a better future."

He added in a statement that despite the brutal civil war, "the resilience of Syrians and their pursuit of justice, dignity and peace endure. And they now deserve a transition that is worthy of this."

He called for "an immediate end to all violence and for protection of civilians".

On the occasion of the anniversary, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Council in northeast Syria reiterated its objection to the constitutional declaration, saying it "did not adequately reflect the aspirations of the Syrian people to build a just and democratic state".