Human Rights Activist: Sudan is on the brink of change and America must intervene

Sudanese rights activist Azzam Shami said in an article in the Washington Post that the protests in Sudan had led the nation to the brink of change and that the United States must now intervene.

The peaceful revolution in Sudan is not the first attempt to liberate the country from the grip of the military junta, but it is part of a series of three decades of attempts that have been crushed by bullets and inflicted bloodshed, leaving the population vulnerable and deprived, But not without hope.

It follows that the Sudanese people are flexible and that they have rearranged themselves repeatedly, learned from their mistakes and organized themselves inspired by their heritage, community values ​​and civic action.

She notes that protesters built their networks tirelessly, moved against one of the worst regimes in the region, that the recent uprising was also met with live ammunition, and that some demonstrators were arrested, beaten and killed by torture.

The reins of government
The Sudanese army overthrew dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir after months of popular protests, the author says, citing the control of symbols of the regime on the reins of government in the country.

And calls for the intervention of the United States and civil society to help the Sudanese people to get rid of the army's control over power and the installation of a civilian government that responds to the demands of the Sudanese society and its objectives.

The change in leadership in Sudan does not mean that the battle for freedom and democracy in the country is over. What has happened is replacing the old ruling junta with a new one, making the Sudanese hostages again.

Sudan is now led by a transitional military council that includes members who have been involved in atrocities in Darfur and other human rights violations, she added.

Democracy and stability
The activist hopes that the new Sudan, which she and her Sudanese colleagues envision, is a prosperous democratic country, a source of stability in the region and a source of security for its people.

And calls on the US Congress to take a quick decision to put pressure on the Sudanese military junta and send a signal that the world is watching it.

Economic support and aid are also necessary to help Sudan emerge from its crisis, but any economic support must be conditional on the handover of power to a government led by civilians and the restriction of the mandate of the military junta so that it can not invade power.

US policymakers need to use their program and influence over leaders of Sudan and other regional powers to engage in a genuine peaceful transition of power in Sudan to a civilian-led interim government, the author says.

Concluding that ensuring the military junta's handover to a civilian government is essential to help guide the Sudan into a new era of hope, democracy and prosperity.