During the past two weeks, the last Prime Minister during the time of the ousted regime, Mohamed Taher Eila, announced his return to Sudan coming from the Republic of Egypt, to which he fled after the fall of al-Bashir’s ousted regime on April 11, 2019.
AlTaghyeer: Fateh al-Rahman Hamouda
The former regime’s Prime Minister of the former regime wrote on Facebook that “the time we made for you and with you has come back,” announcing his return to the country in early October.
Eila’s announcement comes in light of the arrest warrants issued against him by the Attorney General in Sudan, regarding accusations of financial corruption while he was the governor of the Red Sea State east of Sudan.
Law Enforcement
Lawyer and jurist al-Moez Hazrat al-Moez told AlTaghyeer that Eila’s return must come through guarantees provided to him by the coup authority, which had released some of the remnants of the annihilated regime, such as Ali Karti.
Hazrat says it is likely there is a deal between the current putschist government and the remnants of the defunct regime, like Eila, which allows him to enter the country and to seize the notifications issued against him.
He noted that if the law was implemented, he should be arrested as soon as he enters Sudanese territory.
Social Impact
On the other hand, Eila’s raises many questions, especially those related to the complexities of the political scene in the east of the country in particular and Sudan in general, after the October 25 coup, given that he was the last prime minister of the former regime, and held the second most important executive position in the state.
Commenting on this, the legal advisor to the Supreme Beja Council, Ahmed Moussa Omar, told AlTaghyeer that the presence of “Eila” will have a noticeable impact on the social situation in eastern Sudan.
Leader of the Sudanese Congress Party in the Red Sea state, Omar Abu Ali, believes that Eila no longer has a role to play in the issue of eastern Sudan, due to his absence from the country after the fall of Omar al-Bashir.
Abu Ali explained to AlTaghyeer that the societal components worked alone to oppose the eastern path included in the Juba Peace Agreement.
However, the leader of the Popular Movement – the Revolutionary Movement – Abdel Latif Adrob, confirms that the ex prime minister was not far from the conflict in eastern Sudan, even if he has been absent from the region.
According to Adrob’s estimates, Eila has a personal ambition more important to him than his attachment to what is ideological.
He told AlTaghyeer that in addition to his ambition, he aspires to be brought back by the people, regardless of whether they are Islamists or otherwise.
On the other hand, the legal advisor to the Supreme Beja Council indicates that al-Bashir’s last prime minister may represent a major shift in political action in the east.
According to Musa, the deposed president’s ex minister represents the bridge of communication between the center (Khartoum) with hum symbolizing the presence of eastern Sudan at the level of national institutions.
He pointed out that his presence at this time is part of a proposed framework for a great national consensus on which several institutions and agencies related to the matter are working, and, according to him, they are concerned with trying to find a comprehensive political consensus that brings together various political components.
Pragmatic Personality
In this context, the leader of the New Forces Movement (Haq), Magdi Abdel-Qayyum, describes the former Prime Minister of the former regime “Eila” as having a “pragmatic” personality, not an extremist, and that he puts himself in the category of “open-minded Islamists.”
Abdul Qayyum believes that the change that occurred in the “Supreme Beja Council” will make him more acceptable than any previous periods.
Talking to AlTaghyeer he explained that this would ease the current conflicts in the east and work to change the rules of the political game.
Musa also believes that Eila’s presence will relieve some high pressure exerted on current Beja leader, Muhammad Al-Amin Tirk, to present a political and societal vision for eastern Sudan to obtain its just rights.
“Moussa” indicated that Eila can exercise his political activity away from the dissolved National Congress, by playing a role in the arranging of the political and societal situation in eastern Sudan in the next stage.
The legal advisor to the Supreme Beja Council did not rule out that Eila would face difficulties due to the legal procedures that could prevent him from occupying this role.
Political Tactic
For his part, the leader of the Sudanese Congress Party, Omar Abu Ali, confirmed to AlTaghyeer that any change in favor of the Islamists, if found, is a political tactic.
Abu Ali believes that it is only natural for Eila to support Islamists, and that there are still indications of the existence of the dissolved National Congress, and Eila’s own presence in the political scene, one way or another.
The SCP leader believes that this return will play certain roles in favor of Egypt, which he said looks at its own interests more than its is looking out for Sudan’s stability.
He noted that the former minister from the Red Sea remained a key player in the issues of the East.
Abdul Latif Adrob stressed that Eila was “the son of the Egyptians.”
For his part, Abdel Qayyum believes Eila’s appearance seems to be indicating some sort of political settlement, and that if it is completed, it may legitimize some Islamic components as entities belonging to the “intellectual current.”
He told AlTaghyeer that his presence in the political scene will be consider him within the moderate Islam camp, and not from the Ali Karti camp, which seeks a military coup in favor of the Islamists in Sudan.
Musa, legal advisor to the Beja Council, however confirms that Eila will deal with the political process, in light of the current situation, with great caution, holding his “activities” in some way, until the shape of the upcoming political situation clears.
Moussa also noted that the orientations of the leader of the military coup, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, agrees very broadly with a number of Islamists, including Eila, who he supposedly agreed with in terms of possibly bringing about a change that includes all national forces.
Prominent Positions
Muhammad Taher Eila held prominent positions during the era of the dissolved National Congress Party.
He assumed the responsibilities of governing in both the Red Sea and Gezira states before being appointed as the last prime minister of ousted Omar al-Bashir regime, a term lasting from February to al-Bashir’s downfall in April 2019.
