Nile Post
  • News
    • Education
    • Exclusive
    • Investigations
    • Security
  • Business
  • Opinions
    • Columns
      • Two Sides of a Coin
      • Unconventional Thought
      • Bazanye’s Quick Shots
      • David Tumusiime Writes
  • Global
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • The Americas
  • East Africa
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • South Sudan
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Health
    • Tour & Travel
    • Love Therapist
    • Homes
  • Tech
  • Special Reports
    • Kabaka Mutebi’s 25th Coronation Series
    • Focus on Somalia
    • Sino-Africa
    • Uganda at 56
    • Anti-Corruption Fight
    • Age Limit Map
    • Tuve Ku Kaveera
  • Sports
    • Place-It
    • StarTimes Uganda Premier League
    • Bundesliga
    • World Cup
  • Live
No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Education
    • Exclusive
    • Investigations
    • Security
  • Business
  • Opinions
    • Columns
      • Two Sides of a Coin
      • Unconventional Thought
      • Bazanye’s Quick Shots
      • David Tumusiime Writes
  • Global
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • The Americas
  • East Africa
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • South Sudan
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Health
    • Tour & Travel
    • Love Therapist
    • Homes
  • Tech
  • Special Reports
    • Kabaka Mutebi’s 25th Coronation Series
    • Focus on Somalia
    • Sino-Africa
    • Uganda at 56
    • Anti-Corruption Fight
    • Age Limit Map
    • Tuve Ku Kaveera
  • Sports
    • Place-It
    • StarTimes Uganda Premier League
    • Bundesliga
    • World Cup
  • Live
No Result
View All Result
Nile Post
No Result
View All Result

The AU messed up on Sudan, it should sit down!

Amon Katungulu by Amon Katungulu
7 months ago
in Africa, Opinions
Bashir to face trial, says military council

Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir addresses the National Dialogue Committee meeting at the Presidential Palace in Khartoum, Sudan April 5, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/File Photo

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RONALD KATO

In early April, protesters forced the departure of Omar al Bashir after 30 years as ruler of Sudan. Bashir was in fact toppled by his own military after almost five months of protests triggered by a rise in food prices, but which later grew into a movement denouncing Bashir’s corrupt, brutal rule.

After testing the protesters’ firm resolve, the military, which had stood by Bashir shooting and teargassing demonstrators, decided to end the 74 year old’s rule and arrested him.

Airtel Uganda AdAirtel Uganda AdAirtel Uganda Ad

Suspicious of the men in uniform, the protesters have refused to go home. They have stayed camped at the defence ministry headquarters in Khartoum, urging the generals to surrender power to a civilian administration.

As Sudan’s revolution faces the real threat of failure, it is the response and (in)action of the African Union that’s most interesting.

The body has been vague, inconsistent, reactive and utterly inept at responding to developments in Sudan that when it finally did, it had lost all leverage and could not keep up with a very fluid situation that needed huge resources; diplomatic and otherwise to stay on top.

Hence, the chance to influence post-Bashir developments in Sudan was lost to mostly Gulf powers Saudi Arabia,UAE, Qatar and Sudan’s northern neighbor, Egypt.

The AU exhibited a terrible misreading of events and put its obsolete, unresponsive diplomacy on show. While security forces cracked down on protests, killing unarmed youths and medics, the bloc remained quiet, probably praying that the violence would be too swift to get the pesky demonstrators off the streets.

While the European Union and theUSAurged an end to the violence, the African Union looked on as if all was well in Khartoum and Omudurman.

Even when it became apparent that Bashir’s rule was nearing its end, the AU, in characteristic fashion, failed to cultivate the much needed diplomatic clout, to make contacts, ceding the chance to lead to Gulf powers and other players.

So much for reforms that President Paul Kagame touted as the organization’s chairman.

When Bashir fell on April 11th, the organization reacted, as expected, by condemning the coup. It followed the condemnation, a few days later, with a threat to suspend Sudan if it failed to “return to civilian rule in 15 days”.

It took two weeks for Moussa Faki Mahamat, the AU commission chairman to move from Addis Ababa to Khartoum, to meet General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC).

As talks between the military rulers and the protest movement appear to make little headway, the AU still seems unsure how to respond.

While Gulf players scramble pledging aid hoping to influence them, the bloc is utterly stuck. If and when a new (may be even worse) Sudan emerges from these talks, the AU would have made no contribution and lost a chance to make one, ever.

Two weeks ago, select African leaders convened in Cairo for an ‘emergency summit’ to discuss events in Sudan and Libya.

The republics of South Africa, Djibouti, Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Chad, Nigeria and of course Egypt (host and current AU chairman) constituted the summit.

When it adjourned after two days, the leaders had adopted a resolution giving the generals in Khartoum three more months to hand over power to civilian authorities. Sigh.

The junta was recently given sixty more days.

More than just arrogance, the African Union showed disrespect to the Sudanese people and their aspirations for democratic rule. If you badly want Sudan to revert to civilian rule, why give the army more time to entrench itself?

Broadly speaking, the choice of the heads of state that gathered in Cairo (never mind the venue) was ominous.

All of them, save for South Africa, are leaders of countries which are not free and cannot be expected to want democracy in Khartoum. If anything, they hold just contempt for the protesters in Khartoum.

Cairo, where the summit sat, was the stage for a bloody coup in July of 2014 when Egypt’s first democratically elected president was overthrown.

The leader of that coup, Abdel Fattah el Sisi, also the current AU head, has since banned political parties, imprisoned activists and journalists and sentenced opposition politicians to death. As he and colleagues discussed Sudan, he extended his autocratic rule until 2030 in a sham vote.

Egypt is not a symbol of democracy

The ruler of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso too came to power through a coup and has since extended his brutal and corrupt rule through sham elections. The opposition in his country is virtually absent, with activists in jail. He has squandered his country’s oil wealth and cannot be expected to wish any good for Sudan.

Chadian president, Idris Deby, has stifled the opposition and banned protests in his country. For over a year, he has shut down the internet in his country.

That the AU commission chairman is also Chadian is another scandal. Deby and his cronies have stolen Chad’s oil wealth and cracked down hard on dissent. Him and Bashir were comrades in oppression.

That he is invited to discuss the future of Sudan, only the AU knows.

Away from Cyril Ramaphosa, all the other leaders presented or represented in Cairo belong to an exclusive club of strongmen with no interest in democracy.

Uganda’s president, who was represented at the summit by his foreign affairs minister, has been in power since 1986, having toppled an elected government.

He has since held on to power through sham elections. Recently, he amended the constitution to be able to rule for ever. He has brutalized, killed and imprisoned those opposed to his inept, corrupt rule.

As his neighbor on the south-west border, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame. Famous for suppressing the opposition in his country, Kagame was represented at the Cairo summit by his foreign minister.

The choice of the leaders that sat in Cairo was wrong at most and a show of the AU’s indifference at worst. It must feel, and rightly so, like betrayal to the Sudanese people that the same men who cheered on their oppressor are the same ones that sat to decide Sudan’s future.

This sloppy show is also an important indicator that the AU is in no rush to reform and certainly won’t pressurize membership countries to embrace change.

The African Union has lost a massive chance to do good with Sudan. It should sit back, reflect and seek to do better when another Sudan happens.

By Ronald Kato, journalist and China-Africa Press Centre Fellow

Tags: African Unioncyril ramaphosaOmar Al-Bashirpaul kagameSudan

Related Posts

Burundi protests against Rwanda’s aggression before regional army chiefs
East Africa

Burundi protests against Rwanda’s aggression before regional army chiefs

by Kenneth Kazibwe
December 6, 2019
0

Burundi has officially protested against what they term as aggression by Rwanda before the 27th ordinary Eastern Africa Standby Force(EASF)...

Read more
Sudan moves to dissolve ex-ruling party, repeals public order law

Sudan moves to dissolve ex-ruling party, repeals public order law

November 29, 2019
WHO, AU join forces to boost health in Africa

WHO, AU join forces to boost health in Africa

November 19, 2019
Museveni urges EAC states to lower transport, electricity costs

November East African Community heads of state summit meet called off

November 19, 2019
US may remove Sudan from list of state sponsors of terrorism

US may remove Sudan from list of state sponsors of terrorism

November 16, 2019

Discussion about this post

Follow Us

  • 148.4k Fans
  • 67.4k Followers
Uganda - UAE ConventionUganda - UAE ConventionUganda - UAE Convention
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest

Feature: Uganda readies self for nationwide teaching of Mandarin

Ministry of Education lauds teacher’s improvement project

December 11, 2019
Absa opens new branches as drive to reach country’s remotest areas continues

Absa opens new branches as drive to reach country’s remotest areas continues

December 11, 2019
Bill Cosby loses appeal of sexual assault conviction

Bill Cosby loses appeal of sexual assault conviction

December 11, 2019
I regret not finishing school- Rema (Video)

Rema’s car up for sale as singer allegedly continues to struggle with debts following lavish marriage ceremony

December 11, 2019
Featured Video Play Icon

Fresh Kid opens up on former manager; He gave up on me (VIDEO)

December 11, 2019
ADVERTISEMENT

Featured

Bobi Wine
Featured

Bobi Wine to start nation-wide consultation meetings, writes to EC

by Kenneth Kazibwe
December 11, 2019
0

Legislator, cum singer, Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine has written to the Electoral Commission notifying...

UCC Mutabazi

UCC orders all telecoms to sell 20% shares to Ugandans before having licences renewed

December 11, 2019
Ethiopia Airlines plane skids off runway at Juba Airport while attempting take off

Ethiopia Airlines plane skids off runway at Juba Airport while attempting take off

December 10, 2019
Four armed thugs shot dead in Mutundwe, pistol recovered

Four armed thugs shot dead in Mutundwe, pistol recovered

December 10, 2019
Bundibugyo floods: Ugandans take to social media to praise “heroic” UWA ranger who saved people

Bundibugyo floods hero Hannington Agaba refuses to let viral fame go to his head (VIDEO)

December 11, 2019
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
Call us: +256-417-720-101

© 2019 Nile Post Uganda Ltd. - A Next Media Services Company.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Education
    • Exclusive
    • Investigations
    • Security
  • Business
  • Opinions
    • Columns
      • Two Sides of a Coin
      • Unconventional Thought
      • Bazanye’s Quick Shots
      • David Tumusiime Writes
  • Global
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • The Americas
  • East Africa
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • South Sudan
  • Lifestyle
    • Entertainment
    • Health
    • Tour & Travel
    • Love Therapist
    • Homes
  • Tech
  • Special Reports
    • Kabaka Mutebi’s 25th Coronation Series
    • Focus on Somalia
    • Sino-Africa
    • Uganda at 56
    • Anti-Corruption Fight
    • Age Limit Map
    • Tuve Ku Kaveera
  • Sports
    • Place-It
    • StarTimes Uganda Premier League
    • Bundesliga
    • World Cup
  • Live

© 2019 Nile Post Uganda Ltd. - A Next Media Services Company.