Sudan's Opposition Accuses Hemedti of 'Eluding' to Remain in Power

Widespread protests in Khartoum demanding civilian-led rule (Reuters)
Widespread protests in Khartoum demanding civilian-led rule (Reuters)
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Sudan's Opposition Accuses Hemedti of 'Eluding' to Remain in Power

Widespread protests in Khartoum demanding civilian-led rule (Reuters)
Widespread protests in Khartoum demanding civilian-led rule (Reuters)

Sudan's Vice President of the Sovereign Council Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, voiced support to the army's measures to withdraw from politics.

Some opposition factions considered that Hemedti's position was not new, saying it was one of the military tactics to remain in power.

Hemedti, also the Rapid Support Forces commander, pledged to relinquish power to civilians, stressing that the military institution would not remain in power, calling on the uniformed services personnel to devote themselves to fulfilling their duties.

He added that the President of the Council decided to provide the opportunity for the revolutionary and national forces to agree on a civilian-led government without interference from the military establishment.

"All the revolutionary and national political forces must speed up reaching urgent solutions that lead to the formation of transitional governance institutions," he noted.

Hemedti affirmed his commitment to work with the Sudanese army and all the nationals to ensure the military institution will carry out its constitutional tasks, reform the military and security institution, and complete the security arrangements as stipulated in the Juba Peace Agreement.

He urged an urgent political solution to the country's crises between all political and revolutionary forces.

Hemedti said that he discussed with Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan withdrawing the army from the political talks.

On Jul 04, Sudan's leading general, the country's military, will withdraw from negotiations meant to solve the ongoing political crisis after a last-minute coup, allowing civil society representatives to take their place.

Hemedti warned of "local and foreign schemes" against the country, saying the current crisis in Sudan is the most dangerous in its modern history, threatening its unity, safety, and security.

The military official asserted that he would not remain silent about anything threatening Sudan's stability, security, and citizens.

Member of the National Umma Party politburo, Yasser Jalal, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hemedti's current position is part of the army's tactics in dealing with the political crisis they created following the coup last October.

Jalal stressed that the military institution continues to perform political functions that are not among the tasks of the military institutions, referring to Hemedti's talk about his return to Darfur to pursue the peace talks.

The official noted that Hemedti's reference to a unified professional army was not clear about the fate of his forces and whether he would accept their integration into the armed forces or refer to other armed factions.

Jalal clarified that although the Rapid Support Forces are part of the armed forces, they are independent and exercise their functions utterly free from other uniformed services.

The Umma Party official noted that there would be no democratic transition in the country without integrating the armed factions into the army and subjecting them to the political decision represented by the civilian authority.



Beirut Blast Investigator Resumes Work After Two Years

An aerial view shows the massive damage at Beirut port's grain silos and the area around it on August 5, 2020, one day after a massive explosion hit the heart of the Lebanese capital. (AFP)
An aerial view shows the massive damage at Beirut port's grain silos and the area around it on August 5, 2020, one day after a massive explosion hit the heart of the Lebanese capital. (AFP)
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Beirut Blast Investigator Resumes Work After Two Years

An aerial view shows the massive damage at Beirut port's grain silos and the area around it on August 5, 2020, one day after a massive explosion hit the heart of the Lebanese capital. (AFP)
An aerial view shows the massive damage at Beirut port's grain silos and the area around it on August 5, 2020, one day after a massive explosion hit the heart of the Lebanese capital. (AFP)

Lebanese judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation into the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast on Thursday, charging 10 people including security, customs and military personnel, a judicial official said.

The fresh charges come after a two-year hiatus in the investigation into the August 4, 2020 explosion that killed more than 220 people, injured thousands and devastated swathes of Lebanon's capital.

Authorities said the explosion was triggered by a fire in a warehouse where a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate fertilizer had been haphazardly stored for years.

But nobody has been held responsible for the blast, one of history's largest non-nuclear explosions.

The probe stalled two years ago after Lebanese group Hezbollah had accused Bitar of bias and demanded his dismissal, and after officials named in the investigation had filed a flurry of lawsuits to prevent it from going forward.

The resumption comes with Hezbollah's influence weakened after its recent war with Israel.

It also follows the election of a Lebanese president after the top position had been vacant for more than two years, with the new head of state Joseph Aoun last week pledging to work towards the "independence of the judiciary".

The judicial official told AFP that "procedures in the case have resumed", speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The official said that "a new charge sheet has been issued, charging three employees and seven high-ranking officers in the Lebanese army, in the General Security, (and) in customs" with negligence and "possible intent to commit murder". Their interrogations would begin next month.

In March and April, "investigating sessions" would resume for those previously charged in the case, including former ministers, lawmakers, security and military officers, judges and port management employees, after which Bitar would ask public prosecutors to issue indictments, according to the judicial official.

Analysts say Hezbollah's weakening in its war with Israel last year allowed Lebanon's deeply divided political class to elect Aoun last week and back his naming of Nawaf Salam as premier on Monday.

Salam, until recently the presiding judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, on Tuesday promised "justice for the victims of the Beirut port blast".

Hundreds of individuals and organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, had previously called for the United Nations to establish a fact-finding mission on the disaster -- a demand Lebanese officials have repeatedly rejected.

Cecile Roukoz, a lawyer whose brother died in the explosion, said she was optimistic after "the promises made by the president and the prime minister, then the probe resuming".

"There is hope that the rights of the victims, for whom we never stopped fighting, won't be forgotten," said the attorney, one of several representing the relatives of those killed.

Visiting Lebanon on Thursday, UN rights chief Volker Turk called for the "resumption of an independent investigation into the explosion".

"I repeat that those responsible for that tragedy must be held to account and offer the support of my office in this regard," he said.

The probe has been repeatedly stalled since 2020.

In December of that year, lead investigator Fadi Sawan charged former prime minister Hassan Diab -- who had resigned in the explosion's aftermath -- and three ex-ministers with negligence.

But Sawan was later removed from the case after mounting political pressure, and the probe was suspended.

His successor, Bitar, also summoned Diab for questioning and asked parliament, without success, to lift the immunity of lawmakers who had served as ministers.

The interior ministry also refused to execute arrest warrants issued by Bitar, further undermining his efforts.

The public prosecutor at the time, Ghassan Oueidat, thwarted his attempt to resume investigations in early 2023 after Bitar charged him in the case.