Those Who Resemble Each Other!

Dr. Muzammil Abu Al-Qasim

Let’s set aside the accusations that have been directed at the Forces of Freedom and Change (Central Council) during the war and ask why these forces have been targeted by those who accuse them of supporting the rebellion, covering up its horrific crimes through silence, and acting as its political arm, backing it with fronts and entities loyal to the FFC or coordinating their positions with it (at least to some extent), such as the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors and the Journalists’ Union, among others.

These forces tried to deflect the accusations by blaming the “remnants” (supporters of the former regime), claiming that the allegations stem from hostile stances adopted by the old regime forces to criminalize and exploit the widespread public outrage against the Janjaweed’s violations to embarrass and condemn them before the masses. The people have documented and proven these horrific violations and crimes in a way that cannot be denied or ignored.

In our view, these accusations stem from the similarity in the methods used by the Forces of Freedom and Change and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in managing the power tools available to both sides.

The approach is the same, and the method is similar, which explains why the two sides have come close, even forming an unannounced alliance.

The RSF rebels used their military power to strike and crush opponents. Before them, the FFC (Central Council) used a similar approach when it employed its authority and a law that disregarded the Bill of Rights in the Constitutional Document to crush political opponents and seize properties by force through a ruthless political committee known as the “Empowerment Removal Committee.”

The RSF rebels occupied the national radio and television headquarters, attacked newspaper offices and television channels, took them over, and attempted (unsuccessfully) to operate them for their benefit.

The FFC (Central Council) preceded them in doing the same through the Empowerment Removal Committee, which confiscated newspapers and television channels — such as Al-Sudani, Al-Rai Al-Aam, Al-Shorooq Channel, and the Tayba Network. Ironically, the Empowerment Removal Committee used the RSF to carry out these confiscations. We witnessed four RSF pickup trucks loaded with armed soldiers storming Al-Sudani’s offices at night — clear evidence that the alliance between the two sides is longstanding and didn’t begin with the Framework Agreement or the current coup.

The RSF rebels kidnapped and detained many citizens from the streets and their homes during the current war, claiming that they were Islamists affiliated with the former regime.

Similarly, the FFC (Central Council) detained hundreds of citizens during its rule, accusing them of being “remnants” of the old regime. Some were kidnapped from their homes and held without due process or prosecution, as happened to journalist Atif Abdul Wahab and businessman Hisham Hassan (Al-Subat), among others. They kept dozens of detainees in prison without trial throughout their rule, confiscating their properties and freezing their assets — the same act, only with a different approach.

The RSF rebels stormed banks, state institutions, service facilities, and private companies during the current war, looting and destroying them.

Likewise, the FFC (Central Council) stormed many public and private institutions, seized their funds and properties, and violated the banking system by exposing, freezing, and confiscating customer accounts. Notably, three finance ministers confirmed that the ministry did not receive any funds from the Empowerment Removal Committee — the same act, only with different methods and a shared disregard for the law.

The RSF rebels occupied hospitals and healthcare facilities by force, turning them into military barracks and depriving citizens of medical care, which led to the death and deterioration of the health of millions in the capital.

Similarly, the FFC forces stormed state institutions, including hospitals, replacing their directors with politically loyal individuals regardless of qualifications (such as at Haj Al-Safi Hospital), which led to devastating damage to healthcare facilities and a severe decline in services, at the expense of patients’ health and lives.

Most of the horrific crimes and violations committed by the RSF rebels during the current war were mirrored by the FFC government through the Empowerment Removal Committee — the modern-day Carmathians.

The RSF rebels disregarded the law, imposed their will by force, terrorized civilians, destroyed public and private properties, and spread fear and injustice.

Before them, their counterparts in the FFC (Central Council) violated the very Constitutional Document they drafted, trampling on it to vent their anger and seek revenge against opponents through an unjust political committee that usurped the powers of the judiciary and prosecution, violated all legal protections for the accused, publicly defamed them, and imprisoned them without trial — some even died in detention. Thousands were deprived of their right to work, and many didn’t even know the charges against them to defend themselves.

The RSF rebels did the same through their brutal war, which terrorized, starved, and displaced millions of citizens in the capital.

In both cases, the guiding principle was “domination” through the use of available force, outside the bounds of the law.

The conferences of the so-called “Empowerment Removal Committee” are no different from RSF checkpoints on the streets. The “Lands and Lands” program is no different from RSF raids on homes, shops, and factories — both involve the same disregard for the law and the humiliation of citizens.

There’s no real difference between the FFC’s looting of people’s rights through illegal confiscations and punishments and the RSF’s looting of homes, shops, vehicles, and properties during the current war.

The only difference is that FFC loyalists wore expensive civilian suits while they spoke eloquently about justice, freedom, and a civil state — concepts they betrayed in practice. Meanwhile, RSF loyalists wear military fatigues and scarves, carry weapons, and chant “God for worship… Hemeti for leadership” — while amusingly claiming to seek democratic transformation and a civil state as they spread oppression in homes, markets, factories, and streets.

Both sides used the slogans of civility, freedom, and democracy to justify injustice, revenge, and oppression of opponents — raising attractive slogans belied by their actions, exposing the Machiavellian nature of both “old allies.”

The former rulers oppressed, corrupted, and transgressed — the new ones have slaughtered, tyrannized, and brutalized. These are people who resemble each other!

They are equally bad — their actions, injustices, and ugliness are identical. That’s why their alliance in oppression, injustice, and tyranny comes as no surprise.

They resemble each other — and those who can’t find their match in ugliness… may God disgrace them!