Opinion: Sudan's paramilitaries were a double edged sword for Omar al Bashir, and after the former presidents demise they have emerged as one of the most powerful armed factions in the country
The instability that plagued Sudan and led to the downfall of the longtime military dictator Omar Bashir has been a particularly bitter affair for the army.
Its vulnerability cannot be lost upon the army, whose commander Kamal Mahi led the deposition of Bashir and whose former inspector Abdel-Fattah Burhan is the figurehead in the transitional government. There is irony, too, in the fact that Dagolo’s militiamen have rampaged through opposition processions chanting the slogan of the army, for they have themselves often crossed swords with the army chain of command. But in having allied so long with Dagolo, the officers only have themselves to blame.Dagolo’s militia is not a new factor in Sudan’s politics.
Sulaiman – summarily sacked before the Janjaweed militias were unleashed to support army operations in 2003 – later stated: “When the problems with the rebels started...we in the government had a number of options…We chose the very worst one.”By the latter 2000s, Dagolo had emerged as the most powerful Janjaweed commander, one who regularly flouted the military forces to whom he was theoretically allied.
As pressure on Sudan mounted, a series of unreliable rebel commanders across Sudan were bought off and given major government positions in the late 2000s, including Abul-Qasim Imam in the west, Moussa Mohamed in the east, and Malik Agar in the south; some subsequently returned to revolt. On occasion, armies have bitten back and nipped their partners in the bud. In 1963 Iraq’s military dictator Abdul-Salam Arif, having allied with Baathists to seize power, suddenly turned on and purged them. In the 1970s Pakistan’s army, having allied with Zulfikar Bhutto in order to fight separatists in Bangladesh and Balochistan, suddenly turned on and ousted Bhutto and his party militia.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Sudan peace deal is greeted with little excitementThe men responsible for the bloodshed will not relinquish power, nor will they be held accountable
Read more »
Can You Handle the 2 Hardest Exercises in the Army’s New Fitness Test?The U.S. Army has a new fitness test—here’s how its two hardest exercises might be beneficial to runners, according to a physical therapist.
Read more »
The Sudan peace deal is greeted with little excitementThe men responsible for the bloodshed will not relinquish power, nor will they be held accountable
Read more »
Can You Handle the 2 Hardest Exercises in the Army’s New Fitness Test?The U.S. Army has a new fitness test—here’s how its two hardest exercises might be beneficial to runners, according to a physical therapist.
Read more »