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Washington Calls on Sudanese Army to Cede Power to Civilian-Led Gov’t

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Washington Calls on Sudanese Army to Cede Power to Civilian-Led Gov’t

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, held talks with the Sudanese army leadership during her five-day visit to Khartoum last week.

The visit was aimed at encouraging the Sudanese to make progress in their efforts to establish a framework for a civilian-led transitional government.

She underscored the urgent imperative of ceding power to a civilian-led transitional government and made clear there would be no resumption of US assistance until the democratic transition is restored.

In a statement published on the official Facebook page of the US embassy in Khartoum, Phee said that the time has come for constructive dialogue and action to establish a civilian-led transitional framework.

She pressed for implementation of confidence-building measures, especially holding accountable those responsible for the deaths of 100 protestors, and for an end to the violence against protestors, including sexual and gender-based violence, suffered by thousands more.

“In a decisive meeting brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia on June 9, key actors took steps to build the confidence necessary to enable the inclusive participation of civilian stakeholders in the political process facilitated by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission to Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to restore a civilian-led transition to democracy,” the statement read.

Phee affirmed that the United States remains committed to a strong partnership with the people of Sudan in support of their aspirations for freedom, peace, and justice.

The statement further pointed out that Phee met with leaders across the political spectrum, including a broad cross-section of civil society and Resistance Committee representatives, medical doctors and attorneys, women activists, families of martyrs in the pro-democracy struggle, and representatives of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front.

In all of these engagements, the US top official underscored the need for immediate progress and reiterated strong US support for the Sudanese people’s democratic aspirations.

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Hamdok: Retaking Khartoum or Forming a Government Won’t End Sudan’s War

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Reuters)
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Reuters)
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Hamdok: Retaking Khartoum or Forming a Government Won’t End Sudan’s War

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Reuters)
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (Reuters)

Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has warned that recent military gains by the Sudanese army, including the recapture of Khartoum, will not bring an end to the country’s devastating civil war.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Mo Ibrahim Governance Forum in Morocco, Hamdok dismissed efforts by the Port Sudan-based authorities to appoint a new prime minister and form a government, calling them “fake” and “irrelevant.”

There is no military solution to this conflict, Hamdok told The Associated Press, adding that whether Khartoum is taken or not, “it doesn’t matter,” as neither side can achieve a decisive victory.

The forum, held in Marrakech from June 1 to 3, brought together African and international leaders to discuss governance and development challenges across the continent.

Sudan’s conflict dominated the discussions, with members of the civilian coalition Sumud - led by Hamdok - highlighting the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe and rejecting military-led political maneuvers.

Sumud leaders warned that attempts to restore Sudan’s African Union membership, suspended after the 2021 military coup, could legitimize a flawed political process. They urged the international community not to fall into what they described as a “trap” by recognizing unrepresentative governance.

More than two years of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have left at least 24,000 dead, though many believe the true toll is far higher. Over 13 million people have been displaced, including 4 million who fled to neighboring countries. Famine and disease, including cholera, are spreading rapidly.

Despite the army’s territorial gains and the recent appointment of Kamil al-Tayeb Idris as prime minister, the RSF has regrouped in Darfur and advanced in other regions, including Kordofan. Hamdok dismissed suggestions that these developments signal an end to the war, calling such claims “nonsense.”

Hamdok, Sudan’s first civilian prime minister in decades, led a fragile transition following the 2019 ouster of Omar al-Bashir. He resigned in early 2022 after a military coup derailed efforts at democratic reform. Now, he warns that genuine peace is impossible without addressing Sudan’s deep-rooted issues, including regional inequality, identity conflicts, and the role of religion in governance.

“Any attempt to rebuild the country while fighting continues is absurd,” Hamdok said. “Trusting the military to deliver democracy is a dangerous illusion.”