Sudan's Ruling Coalition Accuses Military of Threatening Transition

Vehicles drive along a main road near the "Local Market" in the south of Sudan's capital Khartoum on September 22, 2021. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP)
Vehicles drive along a main road near the "Local Market" in the south of Sudan's capital Khartoum on September 22, 2021. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP)
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Sudan's Ruling Coalition Accuses Military of Threatening Transition

Vehicles drive along a main road near the "Local Market" in the south of Sudan's capital Khartoum on September 22, 2021. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP)
Vehicles drive along a main road near the "Local Market" in the south of Sudan's capital Khartoum on September 22, 2021. (Photo by Ebrahim HAMID / AFP)

Sudan's ruling coalition said statements made by the Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan 'Hemeti' Daglo, are a direct threat to the democratic transition in the country.

The coalition said it would strongly confront any attempts to undermine the transition in the country in response to the violent attack launched by the military component on the civilian government.

The Forces of Freedom and Change coalition condemned Burhan and Dagalo's comments, blaming "politicians" for an attempted coup and stressing that the December 2019 revolution marked a path of transition.

It said that the two military leaders had made "baseless accusations," which were a "direct threat to democratic transition" in Sudan.

It indicated that the coup attempt was failed through the efforts of the armed forces.

The coalition called for the reform of the military and security services and implementing the security clauses of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA).

It also demanded the involvement of the civil apparatus in the investigations of the military in the failed coup, in order to name the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

On Tuesday, the Sudanese government said it thwarted the coup attempt and arrested 21 senior officers and soldiers, who are being investigated.

The Prime Minister accused parties within the armed forces and the remnants of the ousted regime of orchestrating the plot.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council condemned in the strongest terms Tuesday's attempt to disrupt Sudan's transition by force.

In a press statement, Council members reiterated full support to Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in his endeavors to see Sudan through a successful transition in a manner that achieves the hopes and aspirations of the Sudanese people for an inclusive, peaceful, stable, democratic, and prosperous future.

Council members urged all stakeholders to engage constructively with the national initiative known as "The National Crisis and Issues of the Transition -- The Way Forward."

The head of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, rejected any calls for a military coup or the replacement of the transitional government with military rule.

"I also want to stress the need for the continued commitment of all stakeholders to an inclusive transition process and to realize the aspirations of the Sudanese people towards a peaceful, stable and democratic future."

In turn, the Sudanese Congress Party, one of the main factions in the ruling coalition, described the military leaders' speech as a "dangerous indication" and a call to monopolize power.

The party said in a statement that the success of the transitional period is a "joint integrative responsibility" between the military and civilian components, noting that the statements of the head of the Sovereign Council and his deputy are an escape from the responsibilities towards the transitional period.

The statement blamed the military for the failure to resolve the security chaos in the country and the repeated coup attempts.

It said the military failed to perform its duties in maintaining security as stated in the constitutional document, which calls for implementing the necessary reforms in the security and military agencies.

The party demanded that the investment companies of the armed forces and security services be subject to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance.

It encouraged civilian and military actors to commit and cooperate to reach a complete transition, as stipulated in the constitutional document and the JPA.



Red Sea Marine Traffic Up 60% after Houthis Narrowed Targets

Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Red Sea Marine Traffic Up 60% after Houthis Narrowed Targets

Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
Armed men stand on the beach as the Galaxy Leader commercial ship, seized by Yemen's Houthis last month, is anchored off the coast of al-Salif, Yemen, December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Red Sea marine traffic has increased by 60% to 36-37 ships a day since August 2024, but is still short of volumes seen before Yemen's Houthis began attacking ships in the region, according to the commander of the EU's Aspides naval mission.

The number of merchant ships using the narrow Bab al-Mandab strait increased after missile and drone attacks by the Houthis slowed and the US and the extremist group signed a ceasefire deal, Rear Admiral Vasileios Gryparis said in an interview in Madrid.

But shipping traffic, which reached a low of 20-23 ships daily in August last year, is still short of an average of 72-75 ships a day seen before the Houthis began attacks in the Red Sea in November in 2023 in support of Palestinians over Israel's war in Gaza, said Gryparis according to Reuters.

The mission, which was established to safeguard navigation in the strategic trade route linking the Mediterranean with the Gulf of Asia through the Suez Canal, was extended in February when it was also tasked with tracking illegal arms shipments and monitoring vessels carrying sanctioned Russian oil.

The last attack on a merchant ship took place in November 2024 and the Houthis have also narrowed their objectives, saying their targets are Israeli ships and ships that have a connection with Israel or have docked at an Israeli port, Gryparis said.

"If you have a vessel that does not correspond to this criteria... there is a huge possibility - more than 99% - that you're not going to be targeted by the Houthis," Gryparis said.

Still, Gryparis said he could not guarantee that merchant ships won't be attacked.

Some companies have been deterred from using the route because of the mission's lack of ships, which can cause delays of as much as a week for those seeking to be escorted through the area, he said.

He said the mission has between two and three ships operating at one time and has requested the EU provide it with 10 ships to increase its capacity for protection.

The mission has provided close protection to 476 ships, shot down 18 drones, destroyed two remote-controlled boats used to attack ships and intercepted four ballistic missiles, he said.