Reiteration of the agreement between the two sides – by outside parties – did not prompt them to establish a ceasefire and ceasefire, as the fighting continued unabated, which is viewed with great concern in many regional and foreign capitals, led by Washington.
The United States plays an increasing role in the African continent for a variety of reasons, but given the thorny nature of Washington’s relations with Khartoum in recent decades, its interest in Sudan and what is happening in it represents a milestone .
Prior to issuing the aforementioned Executive Order, a statement by President Biden reaffirmed that the United States stands with the articulate demands of the Sudanese people for a civilian government and transition to democracy.
To shed light on Washington’s vision of the Sudanese crisis and its role in efforts to stop the fighting and restore the path to democratic dialogue, Al-Jazeera Net interviewed Sudanese-American Professor Bakri Al-Zaik Al-Madani, Public Policy and interviewed a professor of administration. Long Island University in New York City.
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First, what is your assessment of the executive order issued by President Biden to destabilize the Sudanese people, and the violence is perceived as a betrayal of the demands of the Sudanese people?
President Biden’s position is important and necessary, and it sends a message that his administration will do more than condemn, condemn, and hope, and it is necessary because without pointers on accountability and methods of punishment, it is difficult to influence the warring parties.
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Why is Washington interested in the Sudanese crisis?
Washington cared about the Sudanese issue before the recent events, and it was a party closer to the negotiation process between the various Sudanese parties since the fall of the Bashir regime in 2019, when the US position towards Sudan changed greatly and turned positive. , and dropped Sudan’s name from a list of countries “supporting terrorism” with a US statement that established relations between the two countries after a breakdown that lasted more than a quarter of a century. allows.
The visit to Moscow in February 2022 of the Commander of the Rapid Support Forces Hemedti marks a fundamental turning point in Washington’s view of the importance of Sudan. This was linked to US fears that the “Wagner” military group would play a role in Sudan, as its role had already extended to several African countries, especially Sahel countries such as Mali, the Central African Republic and Niger.
At the time, Washington realized the strategic importance of Sudan, particularly with Russia seeking to acquire a military naval base at Port Sudan. The country grew in importance with increased American public interest in the security of the Red Sea, one of the most important arteries of international trade.
From here, Washington first sent John Goodtree as its accredited ambassador in August 2022 to Khartoum, which was under a “coup government” that spoke about the growing importance of Sudan and the need for stronger ties with it. Reflected Washington’s awareness.
The United States has recently been interested in East Africa and the Horn of Africa, as it considers it a region prone to explosion due to the multiplicity of civil wars and separatist tendencies in its many countries, such as what happened in Ethiopia, for example. For.
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What is Washington’s general view of what is happening in Sudan?
Since the fall of the Bashir regime, Washington has adopted an utopian approach based on supporting a negotiated process between civilian forces and the military establishment to reach an agreement whereby civilians would take power after holding general elections, and Be removed from the army and armed militia leadership.
The State Department supervised the file within the Joe Biden administration, but unfortunately, the State Department viewed the situation in Sudan with a naïve view, as it assumed that the military would simply and easily give up power. Washington pushed forward the negotiations to reach a framework agreement, and therefore was surprised by the outbreak of armed conflict between the two sides of the military component.
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What is your assessment of the situation in Washington since the start of fighting in Sudan?
The US position is very positive, as Washington is working and pressuring its regional allies, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and to a lesser extent Egypt, as a preliminary step to deal with the fragile Sudanese parties. Pressing to stop the fight. security situation in sudan
I believe that Washington’s success in helping the two warring sides to reach an agreement on a ceasefire, despite repeated violations of the ceasefire, which allows for safe humanitarian and relief corridors, is a good thing. Is.
Secretary of State Blinken spoke to al-Burhan and Hamidti, and called on them to stop the fighting, and warned against the consequences of continuing it.
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Does Washington have any means to influence and exert pressure on the warring parties in Sudan?
Yes. Washington has important soft pressure tools, such as financial and economic support, and providing international legitimacy through its influence in various international organizations. Washington also has a heavy hand at the same time, through various sanctions that it can impose on specific individuals or entities.
On the other hand, Washington has influence and strong ties with many regional parties, which have direct interests and a clear role in supporting the parties to the conflict inside Sudan.
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How do you view the US media interest and management of the crisis in Sudan?
There is a great and unprecedented interest in the Sudanese issue today from the American written and visual media, and we find much coverage in major newspapers such as the Washington Post and the New York Times, as well as on CNN and the Washington Post. Other.
Traditionally, the American media did not care about Sudan during the democratic transition and its accompanying developments. For example, the US media did not cover the massive demonstrations in New York City in August 2021 to protest against the military “coup” against the civilian government.
However, when it comes to the war, the dead, the wounded and the refugees – as in a crisis – the media cares deeply, in addition to the presence of 16,000 Americans in Sudan in these tragic circumstances.
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What is your personal vision for solving the crisis in Sudan?
I believe there is a fundamental error in looking at the democratic transition process, which has allowed many political forces, and even the United States, to believe that the dilemma of security and military reform can be resolved within a broader democratic framework. can be addressed later and years later. infection process.
There is no doubt that the crisis in Sudan is very complex. Nevertheless, the fighting must stop immediately and then restore the way to democratic construction and the formation of a civilian government based on the concept of the lawyers’ constitution.
The warring parties must withdraw before April 15 (the start date of fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Force), and start with, not finish, security and military reform. No independent mechanism announced so far exists to monitor the ceasefire.
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What is the position of Sudanese in America fighting in their country and on both sides of the conflict?
In general, Sudanese Americans represent all shades of the Sudanese spectrum. Of course, no one wants the fighting to continue and result in various human tragedies.
The community is active on many levels in supporting the Sudanese people, and there is the Sudanese Doctors Association in America, which is very active in the field of health and healing, as well as other professional associations that strive in this direction. Several efforts are being made to convey the views of the community to the US administration and to clear up some misconceptions when dealing with the Sudanese issue.
Most of them want an immediate end to the fighting, and negotiations to begin for the withdrawal of the military to their barracks, leaving the government to civilian forces and away from political affairs.