Latest news with #AbdallaHamdok
Asharq Al-Awsat
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamdok: Retaking Khartoum or Forming a Government Won't End Sudan's War
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has warned that recent military gains by the Sudanese army, including the recapture of Khartoum, will not bring an end to the country's devastating civil war. Speaking on the sidelines of the Mo Ibrahim Governance Forum in Morocco, Hamdok dismissed efforts by the Port Sudan-based authorities to appoint a new prime minister and form a government, calling them 'fake' and 'irrelevant.' There is no military solution to this conflict, Hamdok told The Associated Press, adding that whether Khartoum is taken or not, 'it doesn't matter,' as neither side can achieve a decisive victory. The forum, held in Marrakech from June 1 to 3, brought together African and international leaders to discuss governance and development challenges across the continent. Sudan's conflict dominated the discussions, with members of the civilian coalition Sumud - led by Hamdok - highlighting the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe and rejecting military-led political maneuvers. Sumud leaders warned that attempts to restore Sudan's African Union membership, suspended after the 2021 military coup, could legitimize a flawed political process. They urged the international community not to fall into what they described as a 'trap' by recognizing unrepresentative governance. More than two years of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have left at least 24,000 dead, though many believe the true toll is far higher. Over 13 million people have been displaced, including 4 million who fled to neighboring countries. Famine and disease, including cholera, are spreading rapidly. Despite the army's territorial gains and the recent appointment of Kamil al-Tayeb Idris as prime minister, the RSF has regrouped in Darfur and advanced in other regions, including Kordofan. Hamdok dismissed suggestions that these developments signal an end to the war, calling such claims 'nonsense.' Hamdok, Sudan's first civilian prime minister in decades, led a fragile transition following the 2019 ouster of Omar al-Bashir. He resigned in early 2022 after a military coup derailed efforts at democratic reform. Now, he warns that genuine peace is impossible without addressing Sudan's deep-rooted issues, including regional inequality, identity conflicts, and the role of religion in governance. 'Any attempt to rebuild the country while fighting continues is absurd,' Hamdok said. 'Trusting the military to deliver democracy is a dangerous illusion.'
Arab News
04-06-2025
- General
- Arab News
Sudan's former premier Hamdok says recent military gains won't end the war
MARRAKECH: Sudan's former prime minister on Wednesday dismissed the military's moves to form a new government as 'fake,' saying its recent victories in recapturing the capital Khartoum and other territory will not end the country's two-year civil war. Abdalla Hamdok said no military victory, in Khartoum or elsewhere, could end the war that has killed tens of thousands and driven millions from their homes. 'Whether Khartoum is captured or not captured, it's irrelevant,' Hamdok said on the sidelines of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's governance conference in Morocco. 'There is no military solution to this. No side will be able to have outright victory.' Hamdok became Sudan's first civilian prime minister after decades of military rule in 2019, trying to lead a democratic transition. He resigned in January 2022 after a turbulent stretch in which he was ousted in a coup and briefly reinstated amid international pressure. The following year, warring generals plunged the country into civil war. Sudan today bears the grim distinction of being home to some of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has left at least 24,000 dead, though many believe the true toll is far worse. Both sides stand accused of war crimes. The RSF, with roots in Darfur's notorious Janjaweed militia, has been accused of carrying out genocide. The army is accused of unleashing chemical weapons and targeting civilians where they live. The war has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who have crossed into neighboring countries. Famine is setting in and cholera is sweeping through. The military recaptured the Khartoum area from the RSF in March, as well as some surrounding territory. Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan has framed the advances as a major turning point in the conflict. Last month, he appointed a new prime minister, Kamil Al-Taib Idris, for the first time since the war began, tasked with forming a new government. But the fighting has continued. The RSF has regrouped in its stronghold in Darfur and made advances elsewhere, including in Kordofan. Hamdok, a 69-year-old former economist who now leads a civilian coalition from exile, called the idea that the conflict was drawing down 'total nonsense.' The idea that reconstruction can begin in Khartoum while fighting rages elsewhere is 'absolutely ridiculous,' he said. 'Any attempt at creating a government in Sudan today is fake. It is irrelevant,' he said, arguing that lasting peace can't be secured without addressing the root causes of the war. Hamdok said a ceasefire and a credible process to restore democratic, civilian rule would need to confront Sudan's deep inequalities, including uneven development, issues among different identity groups and questions about the role of religion in government. 'Trusting the soldiers to bring democracy is a false pretense,' he added. Though rooted in longstanding divisions, the war has been supercharged by foreign powers accused of arming both sides. Pro-democracy groups, including Hamdok's Somoud coalition, have condemned atrocities committed by both the army and the RSF. 'What we would like to see is anybody who is supplying arms to any side to stop,' he said.
Washington Post
04-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
Sudan's former prime minister Hamdok says recent military gains won't end the war
MARRAKECH, Morocco — Sudan's former prime minister on Wednesday dismissed the military's moves to form a new government as 'fake,' saying its recent victories in recapturing the capital Khartoum and other territory will not end the country's two-year civil war. In a rare interview with The Associated Press, Abdalla Hamdok said no military victory, in Khartoum or elsewhere, could end the war that has killed tens of thousands and driven millions from their homes.
The Independent
04-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Sudan's former prime minister Hamdok says recent military gains won't end the war
Sudan's former prime minister on Wednesday dismissed the military's moves to form a new government as 'fake,' saying its recent victories in recapturing the capital Khartoum and other territory will not end the country's two-year civil war. In a rare interview with The Associated Press, Abdalla Hamdok said no military victory, in Khartoum or elsewhere, could end the war that has killed tens of thousands and driven millions from their homes. 'Whether Khartoum is captured or not captured, it's irrelevant,' Hamdok said on the sidelines of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's governance conference in Morocco. 'There is no military solution to this. No side will be able to have outright victory.' Hamdok became Sudan 's first civilian prime minister after decades of military rule in 2019, trying to lead a democratic transition. He resigned in January 2022 after a turbulent stretch in which he was ousted in a coup and briefly reinstated amid international pressure. The following year, warring generals plunged the country into civil war. Sudan today bears the grim distinction of being home to some of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has left at least 24,000 dead, though many believe the true toll is far worse. Both sides stand accused of war crimes. The RSF, with roots in Darfur's notorious Janjaweed militia, has been accused of carrying out genocide. The army is accused of unleashing chemical weapons and targeting civilians where they live. The war has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who have crossed into neighboring countries. Famine is setting in and cholera is sweeping through. The military recaptured the Khartoum area from the RSF in March, as well as some surrounding territory. Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan has framed the advances as a major turning point in the conflict. Last month, he appointed a new prime minister, Kamil al-Taib Idris, for the first time since the war began, tasked with forming a new government. But the fighting has continued. The RSF has regrouped in its stronghold in Darfur and made advances elsewhere, including in Kordofan. Hamdok, a 69-year-old former economist who now leads a civilian coalition from exile, called the idea that the conflict was drawing down 'total nonsense.' The idea that reconstruction can begin in Khartoum while fighting rages elsewhere is 'absolutely ridiculous,' he said. 'Any attempt at creating a government in Sudan today is fake. It is irrelevant,' he said, arguing that lasting peace can't be secured without addressing the root causes of the war. Hamdok said a ceasefire and a credible process to restore democratic, civilian rule would need to confront Sudan's deep inequalities, including uneven development, issues among different identity groups and questions about the role of religion in government. 'Trusting the soldiers to bring democracy is a false pretense,' he added. Though rooted in longstanding divisions, the war has been supercharged by foreign powers accused of arming both sides. Pro-democracy groups, including Hamdok's Somoud coalition, have condemned atrocities committed by both the army and the RSF. Hamdok, however, has avoided accusing the United Arab Emirates of supplying weapons to the RSF, even amid international scrutiny and an investigation from a U.N. panel of experts. On Wednesday, he rebuffed AP questions about weapons coming from the UAE. He said those who singled out the Gulf state while ignoring others accused of backing the army, including Iran, were 'pushing a narrative.' 'What we would like to see is anybody who is supplying arms to any side to stop,' he said.
Associated Press
04-06-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Sudan's former prime minister Hamdok says recent military gains won't end the war
MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — Sudan's former prime minister on Wednesday dismissed the military's moves to form a new government as 'fake,' saying its recent victories in recapturing the capital Khartoum and other territory will not end the country's two-year civil war. In a rare interview with The Associated Press, Abdalla Hamdok said no military victory, in Khartoum or elsewhere, could end the war that has killed tens of thousands and driven millions from their homes. 'Whether Khartoum is captured or not captured, it's irrelevant,' Hamdok said on the sidelines of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's governance conference in Morocco. 'There is no military solution to this. No side will be able to have outright victory.' Hamdok became Sudan's first civilian prime minister after decades of military rule in 2019, trying to lead a democratic transition. He resigned in January 2022 after a turbulent stretch in which he was ousted in a coup and briefly reinstated amid international pressure. The following year, warring generals plunged the country into civil war. Sudan today bears the grim distinction of being home to some of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has left at least 24,000 dead, though many believe the true toll is far worse. Both sides stand accused of war crimes. The RSF, with roots in Darfur's notorious Janjaweed militia, has been accused of carrying out genocide. The army is accused of unleashing chemical weapons and targeting civilians where they live. The war has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including 4 million who have crossed into neighboring countries. Famine is setting in and cholera is sweeping through. The military recaptured the Khartoum area from the RSF in March, as well as some surrounding territory. Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan has framed the advances as a major turning point in the conflict. Last month, he appointed a new prime minister, Kamil al-Taib Idris, for the first time since the war began, tasked with forming a new government. But the fighting has continued. The RSF has regrouped in its stronghold in Darfur and made advances elsewhere, including in Kordofan. Hamdok, a 69-year-old former economist who now leads a civilian coalition from exile, called the idea that the conflict was drawing down 'total nonsense.' The idea that reconstruction can begin in Khartoum while fighting rages elsewhere is 'absolutely ridiculous,' he said. 'Any attempt at creating a government in Sudan today is fake. It is irrelevant,' he said, arguing that lasting peace can't be secured without addressing the root causes of the war. Hamdok said a ceasefire and a credible process to restore democratic, civilian rule would need to confront Sudan's deep inequalities, including uneven development, issues among different identity groups and questions about the role of religion in government. 'Trusting the soldiers to bring democracy is a false pretense,' he added. Though rooted in longstanding divisions, the war has been supercharged by foreign powers accused of arming both sides. Pro-democracy groups, including Hamdok's Somoud coalition, have condemned atrocities committed by both the army and the RSF. Hamdok, however, has avoided accusing the United Arab Emirates of supplying weapons to the RSF, even amid international scrutiny and an investigation from a U.N. panel of experts. On Wednesday, he rebuffed AP questions about weapons coming from the UAE. He said those who singled out the Gulf state while ignoring others accused of backing the army, including Iran, were 'pushing a narrative.' 'What we would like to see is anybody who is supplying arms to any side to stop,' he said.
