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| Forces of Freedom and Change | |
|---|---|
| Name | Forces of Freedom and Change |
| Formation | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Khartoum |
| Region served | Sudan |
| Leaders | Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Abdalla Hamdok, Sadiq al-Mahdi, Ahmad al-Rabiah |
Forces of Freedom and Change is a coalition formed in 2019 that brought together a spectrum of Sudanese political parties, professional associations, civil society organizations, trade unions, and activist groups to coordinate protests, negotiate transitional arrangements, and challenge the rule of Omar al-Bashir. The coalition played a central role in the 2018–2019 Sudanese Revolution, interfacing with military entities such as the Sovereignty Council (Sudan) and engaging with international actors including the United Nations and the African Union. Its formation reshaped alignments among figures like Abdalla Hamdok, Hamdok, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and parties such as the National Umma Party, Democratic Unionist Party (Sudan), and activist networks tied to the Resistance Committees (Sudan).
The coalition emerged amid mass demonstrations sparked by economic grievances, fuel shortages, and political repression under Omar al-Bashir after events like the 2018 price hikes and the 2019 sit-in at Army Headquarters (Khartoum). Prominent founding components included the Sudanese Professionals Association, the National Consensus Forces, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, and a constellation of parties such as the Communist Party of Sudan, Umma Party, and the Democratic Unionist Party. Negotiations involved intermediaries from the African Union and envoys linked to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development as the coalition sought a unified platform for talks with the Transitional Military Council (Sudan) and later the Sovereignty Council (Sudan).
The coalition combined diverse political traditions—Islamist, liberal, socialist, and nationalist—represented by leaders from the National Umma Party, Sudanese Communist Party, and liberal figures associated with Abdalla Hamdok and Hassan al-Turabi-era networks. Its stated objectives included dismantling the apparatus of Omar al-Bashir's rule, instituting a civilian-led transitional authority, promoting human rights as articulated in documents referencing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and setting a timetable for free and fair elections overseen by bodies such as the Electoral Commission (Sudan). The coalition also advocated reforms touching on land laws traced back to the Public Order statutes and sought accountability through transitional justice mechanisms resonant with models like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (South Africa).
Forces composition included national political parties like the National Congress (Sudan)'s opponents in the Umma Party (Sudan), professional networks such as the Sudanese Professionals Association, sectoral unions including the Sudan Doctors Syndicate, and grassroots actors from the Resistance Committees (Sudan). Coordination rested on regular councils, negotiation committees, and spokespeople drawn from figures like Hamdok and Mohamed Dagalo-aligned negotiators. International engagement saw liaison with envoys from the United Nations Security Council, diplomats from the United Kingdom, the United States, and regional powers including Egypt and Saudi Arabia, influencing membership dynamics and internal decision-making.
The coalition orchestrated mass mobilizations that culminated in the 2019 overthrow of Omar al-Bashir and the sit-in at Army Headquarters (Khartoum). It led negotiations that produced the Constitutional Declaration (2019) and the formation of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (Sudan), while organizing strikes and civil disobedience campaigns in cities such as Omdurman and Port Sudan. The coalition also supported legal actions against former regime figures, engaged in drafting transitional governance blueprints influenced by models like the 1994 South African Elections transition, and coordinated humanitarian advocacy with organizations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and UNICEF during crises in regions like Darfur and Blue Nile (state).
Responses ranged from negotiated power-sharing with the Sovereignty Council (Sudan) to targeted crackdowns by security elements tied to Rapid Support Forces and other units. International actors—United States Department of State, European Union External Action Service, and the African Union Commission—applied diplomatic pressure, sanctions, and mediation. Neighboring states including Egypt and Eritrea pursued parallel diplomatic initiatives. Multilateral institutions linked to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund engaged with transitional economic programs contingent on reforms championed by the coalition.
The coalition and its affiliates faced contested allegations concerning management of protests, accountability, and engagement with armed actors like the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Critics from parties such as the National Congress (Sudan) and commentators aligned with pro-Bashir media raised concerns about negotiated compromises in the Constitutional Declaration (2019). Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch documented incidents of excessive force during dispersals involving security forces tied to figures like Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, and called for investigations by mechanisms akin to the International Criminal Court models previously referenced in Sudan-related cases.
The coalition influenced the collapse of an entrenched authoritarian order, the establishment of transitional institutions like the Sovereignty Council (Sudan), and a surge in civic activism across urban centers including Khartoum, Omdurman, and Al-Obeid. Its impact is visible in ongoing debates over constitutional design, transitional justice, and civilian-military relations involving actors like RSF and former regime elements. Internationally, the coalition reshaped diplomatic engagements with partners such as the United Kingdom and United States, while domestically it left a contested heritage reflected in renewed political competition among parties including the Umma Party and the Democratic Unionist Party (Sudan), grassroots networks like the Resistance Committees (Sudan), and continued mobilization around issues affecting regions such as Darfur and South Kordofan.
Category:Politics of Sudan