Sudan: civilian government seeks to regain control of defense sector

This is not the first time that Abdallah Hamdok has shown his will to end the stranglehold of senior army and security services on the country's economy.

ASHRAF SHAZLY AFP

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4 min

Sudan is in the process of reforming its defense industry.

At least that is what Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok hopes, who has announced that the government will take back control of a group of companies owned by the army.

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With our correspondent in Khartoum,

Eliott Brachet

The Société de l'Industrie Militaire, one of the largest firms in the defense sector, will be separated into two entities, one military and one civilian, over which the Ministry of the Economy and Finance will regain control via a private public partnership.

This is not the first time that Abdallah Hamdok has shown his desire to end the stranglehold of senior military and security services on the country's economy.

A very sensitive subject whereas, since the fall of Omar al-Bashir, the country is ruled by an executive with two heads: one civilian and the other military.

Under the regime of Omar al-Bashir, generals and executives of the security services have carved out the lion's share in many sectors of the Sudanese economy: gold mines, gum arabic, export of meat, oil, flour or telecommunications, the list goes on.

Since the fall of the military-Islamist regime in April 2019, little has changed, after all.

The generals, who have taken the reins of the transition, have certainly purged some of al-Bashir's relatives from these companies, but have not hesitated to place loyal supporters at their heads.

For Kholood Khair of the Insight Strategy Partners think-tank in Khartoum, the government's takeover of this company is only the first step.

“ 

This announcement is the result of a fine calculation on the part of the military.

The tide is turning in terms of international support for civilian government.

The army realizes that it is better to discard certain possessions now in order to keep control of other sectors.

It should be borne in mind that the military still controls a large part of the Sudanese economy.

They play an important role in the informal economy which is far more important than the formal market.

So we are still far from a transfer to civilians, but this is the first symbolic step

 ”.

For months, many activists and members of civil society have been calling for a restructuring of the defense industry.

Several voices were raised against the stranglehold of the army on parts of the economy.

The Forces of Freedom and Change, but also the Association of Sudanese Professionals, spearhead of the anti-Bashir protest, have also criticized the preponderance of the defense sector in the annual state budget (40%). 

Income from gold mines in particular and taxes on companies owned by the army and the security apparatus are not taken into account in the national budget.

So far, these generals-owned companies pay no income taxes and operate in total secrecy, while Sudan is still in the economic slump.

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• Sudan