In October 2020 the Sudan peace talks were started. It is about an alleged peace with five rebel groups from the umbrella organization "Sudan Revolutionary Front" in the region Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile. South Kordofan and Blue Nile are war-regions since the US-led split of South-Sudan in 2011. The rebel fighters shall be integrated in the national army and get an involvement in state institutions and get share in the state incomes. The development in the last two years, where first a military government came to power and then the demand from USA and EU to let the civilian population be part of the government was implemented raises the question if the peace treaty is really in the interest of the people.
Let’s take a look back. Sudan is foreign dependent country where different imperialist interests can be seen from different countries. The government under al-Bashir was supported mainly by Russia (and also partly China). The USA and the EU supported the independent movement the western region Darfur, militarily and politically. The USA was mainly pro the secession of Southsudan in 2011. Rebel groups were supported that were led by a Christian minority. The western powers tried to aggravate every cultural and religious contradiction within the country and against the "Arab-dominated" country. With the secession of Southsudan ¾ of the oil reserves were gone. Afterwards the economical development went down rapidly because Sudan was dependent mainly on oil export. That’s how the economic crisis got worse and also the political crisis aggravated. Already 2015/16 the inflation was about 25%. Today it is 50% which worsened the situation of the people dramatically. At the same time there was a permanent war in the South and the West of the country. The protests 2018/19 were also a result of the isolation policy of USA and EU. The protests and rebellions caused by food price risings started in the end of December 2018 and continue until today. President al-Bashir was overthrown and the later implemented military council was mainly his political party. The opposition was put together by different forces. The US-imperialists supported the implementation of a civil government. For the USA the protests where positive, hoping that they could strengthen their influence by a civil government.
These developments brought up the development that the USA now wants to delete Sudan from their terror list which contained Iran, Syria, North Korea and Sudan until recently. If they should be deleted from the terror list it would be easier to get money from the IMF, but it would also be easier for international companies and banks to invest in Sudan. The condition for this “act of mercy” from the USA is the reparation payment of 335 million US dollars from the Sudan to the USA. US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on 29th of October 2020: “GREAT news! New government of Sudan, which is making great progress, agreed to pay 335 MILLION to U.S. terror victims and families. Once deposited, I will lift Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list. At long last, JUSTICE for the American people and BIG step for Sudan!”
While in the civil war between 2003 and 2008 at least 300.000 people from Sudan were killed and in the region Darfur alone 45.000 police officers and soldiers from the UN blue helmet troops were stationed, Sudanese people never got any repatriations. The current peace treaty is not for the purpose of the people but strengthens the influence of US-imperialism. For the people that means it will continue that the prices for every day needs are high and the country will even stronger be under control of the imperialist robbers. It is also important to see the methods how imperialists use protests-movements, support them consciousely and use them in their own interests.
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