The Guardian: Sudan and Algeria ... End of revolutions are rarely happy

Simon Tisdale, a political commentator in Britain's Guardian newspaper, warned that revolutions rarely go to a happy end, noting that the crises in Sudan, Algeria and Libya are widening the gap between rulers and ruled.

He said in a newspaper article that the military and security establishment in Sudan, which has been in control for thirty years undisputed, "has no idea how to deal with the peaceful popular protests that have swept Khartoum and other cities in recent months."

He added that the world is watching what is happening in Sudan, pointing out that the army leaders there who have been influencing the events with their decisions "are facing a completely new challenge today."

Useless
"These generals know that they will not be able to use force to put an end to the unrest because their plans will not work and they should negotiate with the protesters," he said.

But the article warns that things may go the wrong way. While the military lacks any plan, the gathering of professionals who led the movement has a vision as it is clear.

He compared the revolutions of Sudan and Algeria. He said that Algerian civilian politicians were still in control of what was happening in Khartoum. He fears, however, that the regime there will not change. An example was the support of Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Kayed Saleh to interim President Abdelkader Ben Saleh, the close friend of his outgoing predecessor Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

Widening gap
The writer went on to comment on the events in Libya, saying that the citizens there prefer a democratic government that includes all shades of the political spectrum on the state of political, ethnic and geographical fragmentation that has plagued the country since the death of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

Commenting on what is happening in Sudan, Algeria and Libya, he said that the crises in these three countries reflect the widening gap between the needs of ordinary citizens and the ruling elite "rooted".

According to his assessment, there is a "parallel trend" to that of the North African States, which finds its manifestations in authoritarian rule, which promotes ideas of a nationalist fanaticism that undermine the concept of the rule of law, individual freedoms and freedom of expression.

the strong man
"The power of the strong man has tightened its grip on countries such as the United States, Russia and China," she says, adding that "the Middle East has its enemies in Turkey, Israel, Egypt and the Gulf."

He argues that despotic rulers not only dominate their own countries but seek to influence other countries as well. He cited the support of the retired Libyan general, Khalifa Hafer, from the support of the rulers of Saudi Arabia and the UAE "who are not elected, who see them soon."

At the same time, he notes that the two countries have also sided with ousted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who are also keen to ensure that the new rulers remain loyal.

Democracy of the West
In his article, the British commentator claims that the administration of US President Donald Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government are also involved in these events. Both consider continuing cooperation in the fight against terrorism to be their top priority, not democratic reform.

He believes that American pressure may help to understand the motives behind the resignation of Sudanese Defense Minister Awad bin Awf "sudden" from the presidency of the Transitional Military Council. The man was accused by the United States in the past of involvement in the so-called "massacres" in the western region of Darfur, and therefore did not see him as a leader that Washington could deal with.

The author advised the pro-democracy movement in Sudan to address not only the military and security elite but also the attempts to intervene in their country's affairs by the "strong" foreign leaders who stand by it "for selfish reasons."