Hamdok Holds Intensive Consultations to Reunite the Ruling FFC

The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok (Arabic website)
The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok (Arabic website)
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Hamdok Holds Intensive Consultations to Reunite the Ruling FFC

The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok (Arabic website)
The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok (Arabic website)

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok is resiliently trying to reconcile the Forces of Freedom and Change alliance (FFC) with its deserters a few days after security turmoil swept the Northeast African country due to fragmentation within revolutionaries.

On Sunday, Hamdok held a session with the FFC’s central council, which the country’s transitional government relies on as a political reference for civilian matters. This meeting took place after the prime minister talking with defectors from the alliance.

It is noteworthy that the FFC was formed in early January 2019, during the popular uprising that toppled the government of ousted President Omar al-Bashir on April 11, 2019.

Consequently, parties in the political organization signed the Declaration of Freedom and Change (DFC) as a precursor for how the country would be run in a post-Bashir era.

The FFC is considered the largest political alliance in Sudan’s history since its independence.

It includes alliances that opposed the Islamist regime, such as the left-leaning National Consensus Forces, the Sudan Call, which provides for partisan forces and armed movements, the Unionist Gathering, and the Sudanese Professionals Association other social and political forces.

The FFC led marathon negotiations with the Transitional Military Council, which took power after the fall of Bashir’s regime, which led to the signing of the DFC that provided for a power-sharing arrangement between civilians and military personnel.

According to the DFC, the military would assume charge of protecting sovereignty, but under the formation of two councils with equal powers. One of the councils will be held by military officials, while the other will be run by ministers who are chosen by the FFC.

Nevertheless, the ministries of defense and interior would not be chosen by the FFC.

Since the declaration’s signing, the FFC underwent turbulences that saw some parties exiting from the alliance over difficulties and differences in viewpoints after signing the DFC.



Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
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Syrian Army Takes Control of Tishrin Dam from SDF

Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)
Syria's Tishrin Dam. (File photo)

Syrian army troops have deployed near the Tishrin Dam in the eastern countryside of Aleppo province, setting up military positions in what appears to be a step toward assuming control of the facility from the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Pro-government broadcaster Syria TV cited an official source on Monday as saying the military had entered the outskirts of the Tishrin Dam area and established military outposts in preparation for a handover of the strategic site.

The dam, located near the city of Manbij, has been under the control of the Kurdish-led SDF, which played a key role in the fight against ISIS in northern Syria with the backing of the US-led coalition.

Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and SDF leader Mazloum Abdi signed an agreement on March 10 aimed at integrating all civil and military institutions of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northern and northeastern Syria into the Syrian state.

Syrian authorities, the SDF, and Türkiye had reached an agreement, brokered by the United States, for the transfer of the Tishrin Dam to the Syrian government.

Under the deal, the military will deploy forces around the dam, while teams from Damascus have already begun maintenance and upgrading works on the facility.

The agreement aims to bring an end to the fighting that had erupted between Syrian factions loyal to Türkiye, which have integrated into the Syrian army, and the SDF. The clashes, which had persisted for over three months since December 12, have now subsided.

On Thursday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Defense announced that Ankara is closely monitoring the implementation of the agreement regarding the handover of the dam.

The deployment of Syrian forces around the dam comes amid reports of renewed tensions in the area, which had been relatively calm for nearly a month. Syria’s state-run Syria TV reported that the military had sent reinforcements to areas previously affected by clashes with the SDF.

Additionally, reports said the SDF and Syrian forces were on alert after Turkish drones launched an attack near the dam, following the death of a fighter from Türkiye-backed factions in the region. The situation continues to evolve as both sides remain on edge in the strategic area.