Sudan’s anti-war bloc to study formation of ‘government in exile’
U.S. warns unilateral government ‘risks fragmenting’ country
Sudan’s largest anti-war civilian bloc, the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), is exploring the formation of a government-in-exile in an attempt to challenge the legitimacy of the military junta that has controlled the country since the October 2021 coup.
The military takeover, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his then ally and commander of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known also by his nickname “Hemedti,” ousted Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's civilian government, plunging Sudan into political chaos and eventually escalating into a deadly civil war.
This potential government-in-exile is being considered as part of Taqaddum’s broader efforts to establish an alternative governing authority, which could be based outside Sudan. This initiative was discussed during a leadership meeting held in Entebbe, Uganda, from December 3 to December 6, 2024.
On the second day of the meeting, Sudan Tribune reported that the proposal was one of the most contentious within the coalition. Consequently, Taqaddum’s leadership decided to delegate further discussions on the formation of a government-in-exile to a smaller committee, an indication that while the proposal is under consideration, it is not yet a definite course of action.
Supporters of forming a government-in-exile reportedly first introduced the proposal several months ago. However, the proposal faced significant opposition from the National Umma Party, which led to a postponement of further discussions around it.
Despite this initial setback, the supporters raised the issue again during the Entebbe meetings, where it was included in the agenda, amidst increased support. The continued opposition from the Umma Party, however, has caused additional delays in making a final decision on the proposal.
Speaking during the opposition leadership meeting’s closing session on Friday afternoon, former Prime Minister Hamdok, now leading the Taqaddum, acknowledged the media reports by confirming that the proposal had been assigned to specialized committees for further study and consultation.
“We agreed to refer the discussion of issues related to the civil front, the political process, and the question of legitimacy to the political mechanism for detailed study and broader consultation among Taqaddum components,” he said.
Hamdok reiterated Taqaddum's commitment to national unity and peace, emphasizing the need for broader collaboration within Sudan’s anti-war front and concluding, however, without identifying the factions or individuals backing or opposing the idea within the Taqaddum.
“We renew our call to all our comrades across the diverse civil spectrum of Sudan, in the peace camp and those opposing the war, to unite and coordinate efforts. Unity remains the cornerstone of victory and the pathway to achieving the aspirations of our people for peace, freedom, and justice,” he said.
In its communiqué following the four-day gathering, the Taqaddum coalition strongly criticized the military commanders for undermining Sudan’s transition to civilian rule and for initiating the ongoing civil war.
It pointed to the legacy of former President Omar al-Bashir’s Islamist regime and the military’s role in derailing the political process, which led directly to the current crisis, arguing that the coup on October 25, 2021, not only halted Sudan’s democratic transition but also set the stage for the civil war that followed.
“The October 25 coup aborted the path of civilian democratic transition and contributed to creating the conditions for the outbreak of the war, which came as a natural result of the plans of the National Congress Party and the multiplicity of the coup leaders,” Taqaddum’s final communiqué read.
Taqaddum condemned what it described as divisive measures taken by the junta, which it said were part of a broader agenda to extend the war and fragment the country. These actions, the coalition said, included ongoing plan for currency replacement, obstruction of humanitarian aid, and denying section of Sudan’s citizens, particularly those opposed to the junta, their constitutional rights, such as access to essential documents like identity cards and passports.
It also pointed to discriminatory laws, such as the “foreign faces” law, and other forms of employment discrimination, which they argued were designed to divide the nation along ethnic and political lines.
“This false legitimacy has also been used to divide Sudan, as evidenced by measures to change the currency, obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid, deprive citizens of their constitutional rights to identity documents and the educational process, and enact discriminatory legislation such as the 'foreign faces' law and other forms of employment that divide the country de facto, which is consistent with the divisive project of the National Congress Party that previously divided Sudan and has not yet been satisfied, and now they are seeking further division by prolonging the war and employing false legitimacy and spreading hate speech and racism,” the statement declared.
The coalition reaffirmed its determination to dismantle what it described as the “false legitimacy” of the coup regime and pledged to restore Sudan’s democratic path.
Taqaddum has been engaging with international and regional bodies, including the African Union, to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Despite these efforts, it expressed frustration with the former regime’s elements within the security forces, who, according to the coalition, have refused to engage in peace talks and have continued to fuel the conflict.
“Recognizing our national, moral, and historical responsibility, we have hastened to lead and support many initiatives aimed at opposing the war and working to stop it by initiating a dialogue to resolve this national crisis. In this regard, the national forces have exerted tremendous efforts with all international and regional partners and the African Union, but the former regime and its elements within the security system refused to stop the war and insisted on continuing it. Therefore, it must be emphasized that there is no legitimacy except for the Glorious December Revolution, and any form of false legitimacy must be dismantled and confronted by all available means, which is what the political mechanism in ‘Taqaddum’ will discuss its options for in order to preserve the unity of Sudan as a land and people, achieve lasting and comprehensive peace, and complete the Glorious December Revolution.”
The potential formation of a government-in-exile has raised significant concerns, particularly from the U.S., which has been a key player in efforts to mediate the Sudanese conflict. While not directly referring to the Taqaddum’s proposal by name, U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello warned that unilateral actions to establish new governing structures could risk further destabilizing Sudan:
The U.S. has been at the forefront of international diplomatic efforts to address the crisis in Sudan, facilitating peace initiatives such as the Jeddah ceasefire talks, co-led with Saudi Arabia, and the Geneva talks.
However, this is not the first time the idea of a government-in-exile has been raised within Taqaddum. During its founding conference in Addis Ababa earlier this year, voices within the coalition also advocated for the formation of a government-in-exile to challenge the military leadership.
These efforts, however, have so far failed to gain sufficient support, largely due to the lack of regional and international consensus. While the African Union has suspended Sudan’s membership, other regional organizations, such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have not reached a unified stance on the legitimacy of Sudan’s military government.
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