The Communist Partys Responsibility in the War Is No Less Than the Responsibility of the Remnants
Mohamed Abdel Magid
The Sudanese Communist Party has not issued a single word or press release since the outbreak of the war on April 15, 2023. The party has chosen to remain a spectator, with only occasional and perhaps timid statements that had little impact and went unnoticed. These statements seemed more like attempts to enhance the partys image or showcase its role rather than substantive contributions.
The Communist Party intermittently wants to remind people of its existence, especially after being dormant during the periods of underground work, even under governments advocating for civility, democracy, peace, freedom, and justice. The Communist Party only emerged when the leader of the Forces of Freedom and Change, Dr. Abdullah Hamdok, met with the Rapid Support Forces commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Where was the party before that? Such criticisms are better directed at the remnants of the ousted regime rather than Hamdok. They condemned peace more vehemently than they condemned the war. Its astonishing!
They remained silent about the Rapid Support Forces violations and the armys shelling of civilians. They opposed the agreement that aimed at forming a civilian government and the withdrawal of the military and Rapid Support Forces from the economy and politics. The Communist Party seems oblivious to its own existence and gains no legitimacy for its political actions unless its a reaction to Hamdoks actions. This is how the Communist Party has chosen to define its existence – merely a reaction to Hamdoks actions.
The Sudanese Communist Party criticized the recent Addis Ababa agreement signed between the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) and the Rapid Support Forces. They stated that "the agreement deviated from its expected and urgently needed tasks of ending the war and delivering humanitarian aid to the affected." The real problem that may lead us back to war lies in the failure to reach an agreement on post-war conditions. "FFC" jumped into the core of the problem.
The partys political bureau stated in its press release that the immediate issue, representing the public demand, remains the cessation of the war, opening safe corridors for relief to the affected, and securing the return of displaced persons to their regions, villages, and homes. The war is now rekindled due to disagreements about the post-war fate. If you want to stop the war, agree on what comes after the war. This is the problem, but it seems that the Communist Party is only concerned with the moment of issuing the statement and is not concerned about what happens afterward.
The Communist Partys statement added, "But the agreement deviated from its expected and urgently needed tasks of ending the war and delivering humanitarian aid to the affected, turning into a political agreement with the Rapid Support Forces, who are implicated with the other party in war crimes and violations as indicated by the declaration."
The statement further argued, "It is not the right of the (FFC) group to deviate from the tasks required to stop the war and engage in a form of governance (federal... etc.), knowing that the form of governance is not decided by the two parties that do not represent the Sudanese people but is decided in the Constitutional Conference." Who has the right now and is acting upon it? The Communist Party should be held accountable for this right.
The statement also considered that the agreement circumvented the principle of accountability through transitional justice, leading to escaping punishment for war crimes, the massacre of dispersing the sit-in, and other massacres against humanity. Where did the Communist Party get this belief, as if they were speaking about a different agreement?
The Communist Partys statement clarified that the agreement indicated positive dealings with existing institutions until the army takes over. This is a natural step if we want to achieve peace. Peace must involve compromises. I am not saying forgiveness, but I am saying that in the initial stage, you cannot reach an agreement or peace where the leader of the Rapid Support Forces enters prison. These things only happen if a military victory is achieved, and since that is currently impossible, concessions must be made to achieve progress.
The Communist Partys statement highlighted its rejection of any form of partnership with the military and Rapid Support Forces, the exit of the military and "Janjaweed" from politics and the economy, and the known international security arrangements to resolve the Rapid Support Forces and remnants of the ousted regimes militias and their allies. It also emphasized the establishment of a unified National Professional Army operating under the supervision of the civilian government. This was effectively realized in the Addis Ababa Declaration, which brought together the Forces of Freedom and Change and the Rapid Support Forces to halt the war. The Communist Party deliberately ignored the draft of the Addis Ababa Declaration, which stated:
"The transitional government, from its constitutional mandate, shall undertake the formation of the transitional military and security institutions, based on restructuring the military and security forces to build a national professional army under the supervision of the transitional government. It shall also work to eliminate the political and security forces operating outside the framework of the legal and constitutional institutions, disarm militias, including armed movements, and undertake the restructuring of the security apparatus, taking into account the professional and national principles, with a focus on the political and administrative accountability, ensuring the separation of military and security roles, and developing mechanisms to hold accountable those responsible for violations of the law, human rights, and public freedoms, to avoid the recurrence of political manipulation and the security forces interference in political and partisan affairs."
Did the Communist Party receive this draft in Arabic, or did it reach them in a language they could not comprehend? This section in the draft agreement represents a significant victory for the Addis Ababa Declaration, but the Communist Party overlooked it and spoke about assumptions of its own. Moreover, the declaration went even further, perhaps beyond the imagination and ambitions of the Communist Party, stating: "Sustainable peace in Sudan must be based on initiating a comprehensive transitional justice process."
The draft also stated: "Initiating a comprehensive transitional justice process, including prosecuting those involved in the June 3 massacre and resolving the cases of the displaced and affected due to the armed conflicts, and designing a plan for the sustainable development of conflict areas and addressing the tribal issues to build a unified national identity."
What more does the Communist Party want? Its view of this agreement does not differ much from the remnants perspective. The Communist Partys role has been comparable to that of the Islamic Movement, symbols of the ousted regime. It aligns with those who undermine freedom and change, the civilian government, and Dr. Abdullah Hamdok since the signing of the constitutional document. I do not know what the Communist Party wants and what solutions it proposes for this crisis. Complete accountability for the Rapid Support Forces and the trial of leaders who ignited the war and caused the massacre of the sit-in are essential, as the remnants were partners in all these disasters. The October 25 coup was planned by the remnants, leading us to this war. The role of the Communist Party in that coup is not much different from that of the remnants, as it was the first to strike in Hamdoks first government. It criticized and besieged the government, incited against it on the streets, weakening it. At that time, the remnants and the cowards did not have the courage to criticize, but the Communist Party enabled them and now stands in agreement with the dissolved National Congress Party in the face of peace, rejecting any step towards it.
Transitional justice will not be achieved overnight, and we will not reach it through a single step. It is a long journey requiring compromises, policies, and peace. The Communist Party has nothing to offer other than opposition without considering the countrys situation, security, and stability. The worst forms of struggle are those involving only opposition and disagreement.
The negativity lies not in what the Sudanese Communist Party is doing now, but in what it has been doing since the fall of the Salvation regime. The Communist Partys fight against democratic governments has been stronger and more violent than its fight against military and authoritarian governments. Just look at what they did with Sadiq al-Mahdi and Hamdok, and what they are doing with Burhan and Hemeti now.
