Sudan’s FFC Under Pressure to Form New ‘Broad-based’ Cabinet

Al-Burhan advised Sudan transition's forces to unite on 2 May 2021 (ST photo)

October 11, 2021 (KHARTOUM) - Pressure is mounting on the ruling coalition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) to dissolve the cabinet after calls by the head of the Sovereign Council and a dissident faction to form a new "broad-based" transitional government.

The transitional government headed by Abdallah Hamdok nowadays is facing three challenges: strife with a tribal group in eastern Sudan that blocks the seaports and closed the roads, a military component that paralyzes the joint institutions and an FFC faction that wants more shares in the government.

After a series of meetings between Hamdok and the military component in the Sovereign Council, FFC officials on Sunday spoke about successful efforts to ease tensions between the two parties.

However, in remarks to military units in Khartoum North on Monday, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan accused some political forces of fabricating troubles with the army to distract the public opinion and called for a new "broad-based" cabinet.

"The armed forces demand a return to the founding platform to reunite the national political forces, except for the National Congress Party (of Omer al-Bashir), so that they can participate in the making of the future," he said.

"Civilians’ attempts to continue the partnership in its previous form are rejected. There is no solution to the current situation without dissolving the government," he stressed.

For its part, the new FFC (National Consensus Group) held a press conference in Khartoum calling for a new government and reiterated support to the military component and the demands of eastern Sudan protesters.

The faction which gathers the Sudan Liberation Movement- Minni Minnawi, Justice and Equality Movement of Gibril Ibrahim and several other groups further called for a rally in Khartoum on 16 October to support their demand for a new cabinet.

"This failed government should go without regret, in order to form a technocratic government to solve the crisis in eastern Sudan," said Tom Hajo Head of the Democratic Unionist Party - Revolutionary Front.

For his part, Gibril Ibrahim criticised the Empowerment Removal Committee and warned that destabilizing the partnership with the military component will lead to destabilizing the whole country.

Hamdok government 2 was formed on 9 February 2021 to include Juba Peace Agreement signatory groups as provided by the deal. Also, the FFC groups named their leading members instead of independent technocrats as was the case in the first government.

Burhan cannot dissolve cabinet

In response to the tripartite alliance calling for the dissolution of the cabinet, a member of the ruling FFC Central Council told the Sudan Tribune that the head of the Sovereign Council has no authority to dissolve the cabinet.

"The Chairman of the Sovereign Council is not entitled to speak about dissolving the government, which is can only be dissolved and formed by Forces for Freedom and Change," said Moataz Saleh the representative of the civil society groups in the Central Council of the ruling coalition.

Saleh wondered that al-Burhan says that the government should find a solution for the eastern Sudan crisis while this crisis has emanated from the peace agreement the military negotiated with the armed groups.

"So now the military should join hands with the FFC to resolve it," he stressed.

He further said the closure of the terminals on the Red Sea and roads by the tribal group, since last September 17, affects the security and safety of the country.

"So this is the responsibility of the military component of the Sovereign Council," he added.

The Beja tribal leader Mohamed Turk calls to cancel the eastern Sudan agreement and the resignation of the Hamdok cabinet before ending the blockade.

Turk on Monday applauded al-Burhan’s call to dissolve the cabinet saying it would "serve Sudan’s interests".

(ST)