Former Prime Minister and head of the Civil Alliance of Revolutionary Forces, Dr. Abdullah Hamdok said that the current war presents Sudanese with two choices and no third option: either to reorganize the country and build a new Sudan based on a new social contract, or to continue on the path of failure that has plagued the country for more than 70 years.
In an interview with Radio Dabanga, Hamdok explained that the fundamental issues at stake include the relationship between religion and the state, equal citizenship, and the role of the army, which must be at the heart of any comprehensive constitutional conference.
The head of the Civil Alliance of Revolutionary Forces acknowledged that he was previously one of the strongest believers in partnership between civilians and the military, promoting it as a Sudanese model in the hope that, after decades of rule, the military would learn that military rule only leads to crises.
He added: “Practical experience has proven this bet wrong, and there is no justification for repeating the same experience again. Any new peace formula must define a clear and specific role for security institutions, ensuring their professionalism and keeping them away from politics and the economy, while recognizing their important role in protecting society and the constitution.”
Hamdok said that the state has failed to reconcile with itself and its citizens, failed to manage diversity, and failed to build unifying ideas, which has created phenomena of centralization, marginalization, and uneven development, pushing many on the margins to take up arms since the 1950s.
He continued: “The old social contract has failed, and Sudan needs a new social contract and a constitution that everyone participates in drafting, addressing issues of identity, cultural and religious diversity, the distribution of wealth and power, and the building of a national army in which all Sudanese see themselves. This is the essence of the new Sudan, a Sudan based on different foundations.”
Hamdok called on Sudanese to unite to end the war and put aside their differences, stressing that Sudan’s greatest achievements were achieved through unity, from independence to uprisings and revolutions, and that the time has come to end the suffering of millions and stop this war.
