Islamist preachers in Sudan call for pro-military rally

KHARTOUM, Sudan – Sudanese Islamists, long-time allies with President Omar al-Bashir's overthrown regime, on Friday called for a rally to support the military-backed Islamic regime in the face of alleged protesters' attempts to abolish it.

Islamist preachers have sought to discredit the leaders of protesters in their religious sermons in mosques, accusing them of seeking to undermine divine power and to impose Western values ​​of freedom, democracy and human rights.

The call for a rally took place on Monday as tensions between the ruling military council and protesters resurfaced after the army announced that the military would "maintain sovereign powers" for the time being. the transition period.

In his Friday sermon, Abdel-Hay Youssef, Salafi preacher based in Khartoum, accused the protest movement of trying to "dictate its own will to the people".

"Have you taken to the streets to impose laws that contradict the identity of the people and to separate the Sharia from God (Islamic law) from the government?", He asked rhetorically.

Youssef rejected the project of transition to a civilian regime suggested by the protesters and called on the army to protect the role of Islam within the government.

Since independence in 1956, Sudan has been a rebound between a tumultuous party politics and a military regime. But al-Bashir has successfully presented himself as the leader of a new wave of "political Islam" based on an alliance between Islamists and the military.

As a young officer, al-Bashir and his army were trained and trusted the Islamist movement, which has played a key role in supporting it for years.

After conducting his coup with some colleagues, al-Bashir declared the imposition of Islamic Shari'a. The new rules include stoning and amputations as punishment.

The Islamists "have not stopped their attempts to regroup, but they are not able to resist the revolution," said Faisal Saleh, a Sudanese journalist. "Therefore, they rally behind the military council."

Some do not see any imminent threat posed by Islamists, arguing that they do not have a solid base of support for Sudan today.

"Until now, these groups are alone and people already want them on their own and hold them accountable for supporting the al-Bashir regime for decades," Saleh said.

However, if the army and protesters fail to reach an agreement, Islamists and generals could renew their alliance.

Earlier Friday, an army spokesman said the army would remain in power during the transition period and deliver only the executive authorities to civilians.

The Sudanese Professionals Association and other protest groups resumed talks with the military council after briefly suspending negotiations and accused the army forces of not giving up their grip after the eviction and arrest of Al-Bashir on April 11th.

The SPA, which is behind four months of protests that toppled al-Bashir after 30 years of power, demands an immediate handover of power to civilians.

"It's disappointing and we did not expect to hear that," said Ahmed Rabie, leader of the SPA, a group of independent Sudanese unions. "For us, this option is totally unacceptable."

Protesters say that they want a transitional council with a "limited military representation" to lead the country, as well as a provisional government until the drafting of a new constitution.

The army tried to appease the leaders of the demonstration. Following the resumption of talks, the council announced that three of its members, largely disliked for their ties with al-Bashir, had resigned.

This led some members of the protest movement to think that negotiations with the military council could eventually bear fruit.

But Rabie said Friday that after the latest announcement, one wonders "if the council has more than one center of power and if all its members are in agreement with each other".

Since the ouster of al-Bashir, protesters have expressed fears that the military is clinging to power and undermines any attempt to establish a civilian government in a country that has existed for decades under a military dictatorship.

"If the army persists in wanting to retain its sovereign powers, we will intensify our protests," Rabie said, adding that protesters may call for a national strike and civil disobedience.

Shams al-Deen al-Kabashi, spokesman for the military council, said Thursday that the army "would maintain sovereign powers" while the cabinet would be in the hands of civilians during a period of transition and until the end of the war. to the holding of elections.

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ElHennawy reported from Cairo.

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