Coup critics condemn Sudan deputy’s visit to Russia

Political analyst, Magdi El Gizouli, says that the visit to Russia by Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council and commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan ‘Hemeti’, was arranged by the Russian Wagner mercenaries “in order to find a way out for their ally in Sudan, and to ensure his continuation in power so that they can continue to plunder the country’s resources”.

El Gizouli said in an interview to the Sudan Today programme on Radio Dabanga, that Hemeti’s statements in Moscow indicate a lack of knowledge and an absence of political prudence. He explained that the statements will put Sudan in a confrontation with the European Union and America, adding that the statements were “a natural product of the policies of the ‘coup authority’ in Sudan”.

He said that the visit must be read in the context of the severe economic crisis that the country is witnessing after the October 25 coup.

“I do not think that the Russian government arranged the visit in light of its preoccupation with the war with NATO, Europe and the United States” he said.

The National Umma Party (NUP) renewed its criticism of Hemeti’s visit to Russia, pointing to the visit’s bad timing and location.

Mohamed El Mahdi Hasan, head of the NUP Political Bureau, told Radio Dabanga that the visit suggested Sudan’s support in Russia’s war against Ukraine, which he described as an “unjust war against a free people to force them to give up their sovereignty”.

Hasan stressed that the visit does not achieve the Sudanese national interests, calling for institutionalisation in the management of foreign relations and not being dependent on individual judgments. He called for holding a conference on foreign relations to set a strategy for foreign relations.

The Communist Party of Sudan (CPOS) condemned Hemeti’s visit to Russia in a statement, which stressed the preservation of Sudan’s sovereignty and to establish balanced relations with other nations.

The CPOS statement also warned of the danger of signing the establishment of the Russian military base in Red Sea state, which puts Sudan in the crosshairs of the conflict between America and Russia and its mercenaries, Wagner.

Their statement also condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces and stressed the need to reach a solution through negotiation that guarantees peace, security, and stability in Europe on the basis of international law and the United Nations Charter.

The Justice and Equality Movement described Hemeti’s visit to Russia as historic. Suleiman Sandal, a leader in the movement, said he is looking forward to the benefits the visit poses for Sudan. He added that the visit will lead to “significant economic change in the agricultural and energy sector, strengthening the relationship between the two countries, and supporting the country’s higher interests”.

Sudan’s Finance Minister and Justice and Equality Movement leader, Jibril Ibrahim, was also part of the delegation that visited Moscow.