My Beloved Sudan: The Third Military Mess

My Beloved Sudan: The Third Military Mess

Since, the initiation of some famous journalists and writers of the regime to publicly criticizing the performance of their beloved government, I knew some ugly theatrical action is going to be unfolding. I listened to the President’s national address after an eager anticipation of something serious might be announced. It is full of well-prepared terminology and phrases which were repeated over and over through a lengthy flowery language that leads to no concrete conclusions. I wonder if the president is really keen about soliciting our views on major issues like the worsening economic downfall of the country and the completely abandoned political freedoms!!! The first logical idea that jumps to my mind is the military coup of 1989 which was named as the Salvation Revolution to deal with all our nagging problems at the time. After twenty five years, this Salvation Revolution will put in front of us the same problems which they came to salvage!!! It is the worst case scenario for any genuine political leader by admitting acknowledgement of failure without taking the responsibility for his actions. I wish this ruling junta and their accompanying stooges would sense the graveness of their actions. The crystal clear objective taken by the National Congress Party during the last few months preparing these proposals, is clinging to power for some other decades with the generousity by giving up a little piece of the pie to the other stake holders.

No doubt, the ruling party is in serious trouble with high ranking members ( Attabani and others) are deserting while publicly voicing their concerns over a failed performance of outdated policies that took the country to its lowest level ever. It is the last straw thrown to save their skins from a mess that couldn’t be salvaged and a shed blood that would never be forgotten. Now, the multi million dollars question is whether the honorable stake holders will chew the bate thrown to them? Will they accept to take part in a government like the previous ones that keeps the authoritarian ministries into the ruling juntas’ hands?
One noticeable observation is the absence of the military brass high figures namely Bakri, the vice president and Abdel Rahim, minister of defense. Even during the last shuffle of cards, the military figures were not touched!!! This might indicate that the army intentionally distances its self away and is not deeply concerned about a political deal to forsake some of their civilian colleagues as long as they guarantee the lack of a counter coup. The army, police and the intelligence personnel are paid hefty amounts to accept and defend the status quo. Actually, the bad economic situation that the Salvation Front created was a result of the big junk of our budget that goes to this powerful triangle. Moreover, it is the day light corruption which never left a single organization to be well intact from embezzled resources and this is what is declared by the Auditor General. I am absolutely sure what is unearthed is very awful.

Mr. President, if we were really passionate of the salvation of what is left of our country, the formation of the army should be deeply uprooted. Out of the 58 years since our independence in 1956, the army took 48 years of ruling that is 83% of the time since we declared ourselves to be free and independent. During these years of the three military rules, the militarization of this failed army had swallowed most of our limited resources. I wish I could say that our army had won a major battle against any intruder who threatens our border. Our army was engaged in inside feuds and how to control power since our independence. I will never forget how the Chadian army, with its few fighting old airplanes had humiliated our western front at one time. The basic duty of the army is to safeguard our international borders not to build check points around big cities. At one time, I witnessed myself during my travel to my home town, Argo, in the North, how these military personnel at check points were collecting money from civilian cars without receipts!! The military thinking of enjoying power could be detrimental to the mere existence of any developing country. It is built on milking the meager available resources and over the silent blessing of those top figures as long as they call the shots from above!!

There are many experiences where classical formation of militarization had failed even in those countries with abundant resources. I will go with the recent example is Hezbollah militia fight against the well-equipped Israeli classical army in 2006 which led the latter to use its military jet fighters without daring to approach the well-trenched militias of Hezbollah. We have to acknowledge that we have limited resources and we have to use these resources in very efficient ways. We had abandoned allocating funds to education, health and training which represent the true master key to any future development. It is very difficult for a military regime not to pamper its soldiers that is why the whole system should be completely overhauled!!

Mr. President, the right way to stitch the remaining rags of our beloved Sudan; we do not need an army that is entrenched in our capital and major cities!! We do not need a security arrangement of army, police and an intelligence network that take a big slice of the annual budget. All we need is the formation of militias to safeguard our borders and be quite independent of the political running of the country. There should be legislations to absolutely forbid military coups after the establishment of a free democratic system with genuine leaders.

Enough is enough; these vicious circles would lead us to nowhere land!!!


(Edited by إبراهيم عبد العزيز عثمان on 01-28-2014, 06:05 AM)
(Edited by إبراهيم عبد العزيز عثمان on 01-28-2014, 06:11 AM)
(Edited by إبراهيم عبد العزيز عثمان on 01-28-2014, 10:54 AM)

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