The return of the representation of the “Al-Dustour” Party in the Executive Committee of the “Civil Democratic Movement” has renewed questions about the possibility of the largest opposition bloc in Egypt overcoming the crisis of “differences in ideologies” that sparked political disputes within it and resulted in the withdrawal of parties and the freezing of others.
Although the “Civil Movement” rearranged its internal structures last month, with the aim of restoring its political role, this collided with internal crises that surfaced again, as the “Al-Dustour” Party, one of the liberal-oriented parties within the movement at the time, announced its rejection of the new structure, and objected to the formation of the “Executive Committee” that replaced the “Board of Trustees.”
At that time, the “Al-Dustour” Party said that the formation of the Executive Committee was marred by “a clear imbalance in political representation,” as it was dominated by representation of the “Nasserite” and “Leftist” movements, while there was no adequate representation of the liberal movement, which does not reflect the true diversity within the movement.
Following consultations in the recent period to bring viewpoints closer between the movement’s parties, the Constitution Party announced that it had reached “a consensus formula that preserves the movement’s cohesion and its ability to play its role toward national issues.” The party said in a statement Thursday: “A meeting of the movement’s General Secretariat was held during the past few days that included various political components. The meeting resulted in the return of the liberal movement’s representation in the (Executive Committee), and the selection of the head of the Constitution Party, Dr. Wafa Sabry, to fill the seat.”
The General Coordinator of the Civil Movement, Akram Ismail, believes that the success of efforts to overcome the dispute with the Constitution Party reinforces the movement’s aspirations “to overcome any influence of differing ideologies, and to transform that pluralism into a political gain for the movement, enabling it to address different political currents.” He told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the political problems and disagreements the movement faces are natural and require organizational will, patience, and perseverance to overcome them,” stressing that “The new organizational structure includes a vision for resolving differences and bringing viewpoints closer together.”
The “Al-Dustour” Party confirmed in its statement on Thursday that its first goal will remain “to work for the public good,” and to ensure “the unity and cohesion of the civil democratic movement,” as it is “a unifying framework for the forces of the democratic civil opposition, regardless of their orientations and diversity,” and that the “observations and reservations” expressed by the party came out of its concern for “clarity of work rules and decision-making mechanisms,” and for the movement to be “expressive of its various streams and components.”
In his statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, the movement’s general coordinator, Akram Ismail, spoke of the movement’s aspiration to “activate its new vision that enables it to exploit ideological diversity to become an expression of all political components by setting a general vision agreed upon by all parties.”
The “Civil Movement” was founded in 2017, and is considered the largest Egyptian opposition group. It includes a number of public figures and political parties that adopt different ideologies, which was reflected in the existence of disagreements regarding crucial political decisions, most notably participation in the previous presidential and parliamentary elections.
The expert in political and parliamentary affairs, Deputy Director of the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, Dr. Amr Hashem Rabie, believes that “it is possible to build on the reconciliation that occurred with the (Al-Dustour) Party to overcome the crisis of differences in ideologies,” and he told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the movement needs to identify points of disagreement before points of agreement, so that a political mechanism can be put in place to deal with what is disputed.”
He added: “It is clear that defining these points did not happen during the last period, which caused the escalation of disagreements.” He believes that “ideological differences can be overcome by defining general political principles regarding major issues without going into details that highlight the differences. This also requires that the movement expand the circle of parties and public figures participating in it by introducing new entities.”
During the “reconciliation” statement on Thursday, the “Al-Dustour” Party stressed that what happened confirms the importance of “internal dialogue and direct communication between the components of the movement, as they are the best way to clarify positions, bring viewpoints closer, and address any discrepancies or differences,” noting “the necessity of continuing this approach in internal communication, so that any differences in viewpoints are discussed within the frameworks of the movement and its institutions, in a way that prevents the accumulation of discrepancies or the expansion of areas of misunderstanding.”
The “Alamein-Africa” summit kicked off in Egypt on Friday, amid aspirations for strategic partnerships in light of tensions on the continent. Experts who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat are counting on “the forum to open spaces for dialogue about some of the roots of tensions and to develop strategic solutions to them.”
About 1,500 African business community leaders and investors will participate in the first edition of the “Alamein-Africa” Business Forum in El Alamein (northwest of Egypt) during the period from 2 to 4 October (October).
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stressed during the forum’s welcoming session that “Africa stands (today) at an important moment,” noting that the continent possesses enormous natural resources, a vast market, one of the most youthful societies in the world, and great opportunities in the fields of manufacturing, energy, agriculture, technology, services, and the digital economy. He explained that there is an awareness of the magnitude of the challenges facing development efforts, whether related to providing financing, developing infrastructure, the high cost of capital, or the need to enhance connectivity between markets and remove barriers that still limit the movement of trade and investment within the continent. Madbouly pointed out that the continent “meets (today) at a time when economic and technological transformations are accelerating at the global level, and supply chains and centers of production, trade and investment are being reformulated,” stressing that these transformations force everyone to look at Africa not only as a continent facing development challenges, but also as a continent that offers real opportunities and has the ability to be an effective part of the new global economy.
For his part, Egyptian Minister of Planning and Economic Development Ahmed Rostom stressed that “Africa represents a top strategic priority,” calling for “changing the traditional view of the continent from just export markets and dealing with it as an integrated economic system.” During the “Entrepreneurship in Africa” session, he presented an initiative to develop a “joint innovation” model between Egyptian and African entrepreneurs, which depends on exchanging technology and building cross-border regional value chains. He added that “activating the continental free trade agreement” requires expanding the role of risk capital capable of bearing the challenges of investment in the continent.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty pointed out during the “From Resilience to Recovery” event on the sidelines of the forum that “the African continent possesses enormous economic and human potential and natural resources that qualify it to achieve higher rates of growth and development,” and stressed “the importance of moving from the stage of setting priorities and formulating frameworks to the stage of actually implementing projects, and mobilizing the necessary resources and investments to transform development plans into tangible results that are directly reflected on the peoples of the continent, benefiting from the Continental Free Trade Agreement.”
Abdel Ati pointed out that “promoting African economic integration represents one of the basic paths to achieving sustainable development, through linking markets, developing regional value chains, and increasing rates of intra-trade and investment,” stressing “the importance of building more effective partnerships between governments, financial institutions, and the private sector, and creating an enabling environment that enables African entrepreneurs and companies to expand, grow, and benefit from the opportunities available in the continent’s various markets.”
According to a statement by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development on Friday, “The size of the African economy is estimated at about 3.6 trillion dollars, and although the continent contains about a fifth of the world’s population, its share of global trade does not exceed 1.5 percent, in addition to limited foreign direct investment flows compared to its capabilities.”
Professor of political science, expert in African affairs, Najla Merhi, believes that “the goal of the forum is to transform continental development plans into concrete projects, and to enhance economic integration and intra-regional trade between the countries of the continent.”
She says, “The summit is a strategic platform for strengthening strategic partnerships between Egyptian companies and their African counterparts, and there is the establishment of some mechanisms through which the forum will contribute practically to advancing and developing these partnerships.”
Regarding the “summit’s” messages, Merhi explains that they are “to confirm that Africa is capable of leading self-growth regardless of its relations with international powers.” Because the continent has huge potential for investment, and it has investors capable of directing wealth to promising commercial projects.”
She adds, “The most important message is that Africa no longer wants to remain just an arena for international competition or a source of raw materials, but rather seeks to be an active partner in shaping its economic future through industrialization, expanding intra-trade, and building more flexible regional supply chains.”
For his part, African affairs expert Rami Zuhdi believes that “the participation of about 1,500 investors and participants reflects the extent of interest in African economic opportunities, and confirms that the continent has become strongly present on the international and regional investment agenda,” but he explains that “the size of attendance, no matter how large, is not the criterion for final success, and the real criterion is the number of agreements that turn into projects, and the volume of financing that enters into force.”
For Egypt, hosting the forum carries a clear message that “Cairo seeks to strengthen its role as a link between markets, capital and African projects,” according to Zohdi, who said that the forum is an opportunity to move Egyptian-African economic relations from the level of official agreements and understandings to direct partnerships between companies.
He adds: “The importance of the forum lies in bringing together investors, decision makers and representatives of the private sector, allowing us to identify the needs of African markets, build cross-border productive and commercial alliances, and open new markets for Egyptian products, in parallel with attracting African investments to Egypt.”
According to Zuhdi, “The economy cannot be separated from security and political stability, but it is wrong to completely hinge African development opportunities on the end of conflicts. The continent faces security challenges, armed conflicts, and disruptions in supply chains, but at the same time it possesses promising markets, huge resources, and enormous investment opportunities.”
According to the Egyptian Council of Ministers, the Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid Saleh, witnessed, on Friday, the signing of a project agreement between the “Al-Arabi” group and the South African “Malben Engineering” company to “support the development of the automotive sector’s supply chains and deepen the local manufacturing of its components, in addition to exploring expansion opportunities in African markets.”
Saleh stressed that “partnerships between Egyptian companies and their African counterparts represent one of the important paths to enhance economic and trade cooperation between the countries of the continent.” He said that the forum aims to access the markets of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and transform the continent's industrial potential into investments, bankable projects, and integrated regional supply chains.
Regarding the possibility of the “summit” offering solutions to the tensions on the continent, Zuhdi believes that “although the forum is primarily economic, it is held in an African context in which the economy cannot be isolated from politics and security, and therefore it can open spaces for dialogue on some of the roots of tensions related to competition over resources, trade corridors, water, and energy, and the challenges that hinder regional cooperation.”
He continues, “Projects and regional electrical, transport, and trade networks can be transformed into tools for building confidence and creating mutual interests that make stability an option with direct economic returns for countries and peoples.”
Marai did not rule out that the forum would propose strategic solutions to African tensions that link political stability with reconstruction and development efforts in conflict areas.
She says that the forum aims to “implement projects despite the tensions on the continent,” and she expects that the forum will adopt “transferring political discourses to projects implemented on the ground despite the tensions, through the participation of investors and companies that will provide financing guarantees for cross-border projects, and this will reduce the risks of investment in troubled areas.”
On Friday, the Sudanese army strengthened its deployment in North Kordofan by announcing the recovery of the strategic town of Al-Mazroub, a week after it entered the city of Sodri, at a time when marches continue to cast their shadows over the field scene, following a bloody strike that targeted a residence for students at the University of Kordofan in El-Obeid, the state capital, while the UN Security Council is preparing for a new round of negotiations on the arms embargo imposed on Darfur, amid an American proposal to expand it to all parts of Sudan. The General Command of the Armed Forces said in a statement that members of the army and the forces supporting it regained Al-Mazroub after “fierce battles,” and inflicted heavy losses on the Rapid Support Forces in lives and vehicles, without providing a specific toll.
It stressed the continuation of operations in various axes, and the forces’ commitment to protecting civilians and securing property, calling on residents of the recaptured areas to return and practice their normal lives. It was not possible to independently verify the size of the losses announced by the army.
Muhammad Didan, spokesman for the Special Action Forces in North Kordofan, announced on his Facebook page that army forces had entered Al-Mazroub since nine in the morning on Friday, which was confirmed by field sources, days after the army strengthened its deployment in Sodari, which it recaptured last Friday.
Al-Mazroub is located about 130 kilometers northwest of Al-Obeid. It is considered one of the important livestock markets in Kordofan. It was also used during the war as part of military supply routes, and remained under the control of the “Rapid Support” for a long time.
Witnesses said that the “Rapid Support” withdrew from the town during September, before returning to it after the army took control of Soudari, and then withdrew again with the advance of the armed forces on Friday morning.
The army's presence in Al-Mazroub enhances its ability to monitor movement west of Bara, and limits the possibility of using the town again as a transit and supply point, but consolidating this gain remains linked to securing the roads and surrounding countryside.
Taking control of the town comes as part of a series of advances by the army that included, during the recent period, Sudari, Umm Sharu, Bara, Jabrat al-Sheikh, Umm Sayala, and other areas, while field reports indicated the retreat of the Rapid Support Forces towards Umm Badr, Hamrat al-Sheikh, and the far west of the state, without its current deployment map being independently clarified.
The conflict over Kordofan is gaining increasing importance because the region is located in the middle of Sudan, and it is a corridor linking the center of the country with Darfur to the west, which makes control of its towns and roads influential in the movement of forces and supply lines.
In conjunction with the ground movements, the Sudan Doctors Network said that five people were killed and 47 others were injured in a march attack that targeted a residence for students at the University of Kordofan in El Obeid. The Sudan Doctors Network accused the “Rapid Support” of carrying out the attack, and described it as an escalation in targeting civilian and educational facilities. There was no immediate comment from Rapid Support, and it was not possible to independently verify who launched the march.
Over the past weeks, Al-Obeid has been subjected to repeated attacks with drones, an indication of the increasing reliance on this weapon in parallel with the ground battles in Kordofan.
The proof promises and threatens
In Khartoum, the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Army Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, while addressing new batches accepted into the Military College, stressed the role of the armed forces in preserving Sudan’s security and unity, stressing that the loyalty of its members should go beyond political, tribal, and regional affiliations. He said that the army is a national institution that serves the Sudanese people and that those joining it represent all parts of the country, calling on the students to develop their military and technical capabilities to keep pace with the development of weapons and equipment.
Developments on the ground coincide with the approaching of a new round within the Security Council regarding the sanctions regime imposed on Sudan. In the coming days, the Council is expected to discuss renewing the sanctions before the current temporary extension expires on October 9. In September, the Council was forced to extend the regime for only one month after consensus failed on a US proposal to expand the arms embargo, currently applied to Darfur, to include all parts of Sudan.
Washington also seeks to tighten restrictions related to the flow of weapons, drones, related technology, and foreign fighters, while Russia and China have expressed reservations about expanding the geographical scope of the ban.
The Sudanese government opposes the imposition of a comprehensive embargo on the country, considering that it may restrict the army’s ability to defend the state, and instead demands tightening measures to prevent weapons and external support from reaching the Rapid Support Forces.
The recent escalation in Kordofan gives the discussion within the Security Council additional importance, after the military operations and drone war crossed the borders of Darfur, on the basis of which the arms embargo was established more than two decades ago.
