SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Institute for Security Studies - Sudan's transition: what are the chances of success?

18/12/2020: Institute for Security Studies - Sudan's transition: what are the chances of success?, by Shewit Woldemichael

Shewit Woldemichael, researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, identifies the discord among the Forces for Freedom and Change alliance (FFC) as a key challenge in Sudan’s democratic transition.

 Woldemichael notes that Sudan’s current transition bears similarity to the 1964-65 and 1985-86 transitional periods which culminated in military dictatorships, attributing the previous failures to the “lack of a common vision for Sudan among political elites,” which resulted in alliances “mired in rivalry [which] undermines the unity and strength of civilian actors.”

 Thus, Woldemichael’s calls for the transitional government to manage public expectations and regain public confidence through transparency and regular engagement, and for the FFC to reach compromise on major issues to bridge divisions based on politics and identity, and to maintain civilian unity to ensure the military hands over power in the second half of the transition period.