Washington - There

is increasing talk in Washington of the importance of working to make Sudan's difficult democratic transition a success, at a time when the White House, Congress, and relevant research centers affirm that supporting Sudan politically and economically serves direct and indirect US interests in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.

It reflected Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken's welcome to the road map announced by Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok last Friday to end the political crisis in the country;

Increased official US interest in the Sudanese issue.

In his tweet, Blinken urged all parties in Sudan to take immediate and tangible steps to fulfill the main requirements of the constitutional declaration.

The Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa - Jeffrey Feltman - also called on Sudanese officials to avoid the "brinkmanship" policy.

Feltman made two phone calls a few days ago with Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Chairman of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, in order to confirm the nature of his country's position on the civil and military sides in the Sudanese ruling equation.


Failed coup attempt

The news of the failed coup attempt that took place on the 21st of last month came on the same day that US President Joe Biden praised democracy, and the courage of those who seek it, in his speech to the United Nations;

He mentioned Sudan specifically.

A statement from the White House issued a clear warning that "any attempt by the military to undermine the spirit and agreed parameters of the Sudanese Constitutional Declaration will have serious consequences for the bilateral relations between the United States and Sudan and the aid that Washington plans to provide to Khartoum."

Joseph Tucker, an expert on Sudan affairs at the Institute of Peace in Washington, said that news of the coup attempt "complicated the already fragile situation of the power-sharing agreement between the army and civilians in Sudan, which was designed to steer the country towards democratic rule led by civilians after the overthrow of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019".

Tucker indicated that the Sudanese army "may have promoted the coup attempt to gauge the local and international reaction, and to see if there is a possible scope for military intervention in the future."

message to the street

Tucker believes that the coup in one of its repercussions represented a message to the Sudanese street that "civilians are unable to achieve stability in the country, and that the army needs more empowerment."

He noted that in the absence of complete clarity or military commitment to implementing the provisions of the road map, the United States can play a role in supporting the civilian government by explicitly warning of actions that undermine the transition process, and considering more active roles to support the re-imagining of a national vision and security sector oversight and reformed by civilian leadership.

For its part, Congress has gone so far as to threaten to reimpose sanctions and withdraw up to $1 billion in promised investment and development aid if the military tries to reassert full control.


The dangers of the return of terrorism

On the other hand, it became clear to Washington that there are real security threats in Sudan, as was evident from the killing of 5 officers while they were carrying out an attack on a supposed cell of the Islamic State in Khartoum a few days ago.

This brought to mind the dangers of Sudan's pacifying legacy to terrorist groups, as some American circles believe.

He prompted Washington to remind Sudan that Sudan should have a "qualified and professional security sector," according to Cameron Hudson, an Africa expert at the Atlantic Council.


Appointment of an ambassador

Since Ambassador Timothy Michael Carney left Khartoum on September 9, 1995, the United States has not been represented by a resident ambassador to Sudan.

And since the return of relations between the two sides last year, the United States has been represented by a chargé d'affaires, veteran diplomat Brian Shawkan, since October 2019.

It is worth noting that Washington's relations with Khartoum have known severe tensions over the past quarter century due to what Washington saw as the links between the Sudanese government and terrorist groups, and Khartoum hosting Osama bin Laden for several years before he left for Afghanistan.

The NGO Operation Broken Silence is pressing the Biden administration to nominate a US ambassador to Khartoum.

The organization believes that with the security and political situation in Sudan changing on a daily basis, it is now time for President Biden to appoint an ambassador or special envoy to Sudan.

The organization stated in a statement, which was seen by Al Jazeera Net, that it had joined more than 120 non-governmental organizations and a list of experts involved in inviting the Biden administration to appoint an ambassador or special envoy to Sudan.

This means that the United States is missing out on critical opportunities to support civilian officials and activists who seek a genuine transition to democracy.

Without an ambassador or special envoy, the United States would also miss out on the business development and comprehensive reform efforts that could help bring stability and peace to Sudan.