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Mr. Tesfai Woldemichael (Degiga), the newly elected chairman of the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), on 19 August sent a congratulatory message to the people of fraternal Sudan expressing “boundless joy and hope” of many Eritreans for Sudan’s success in reaching “a promising deal for a smooth transition to democratic governance.”

EPDP Chairman Congratulates Sudan in reaching a promising deal for democratic transion

Addressed to General Abdel-Fattah A. Burhan, head of the military council, and Mr. Ahmed al-Rabie, the representative and signatory of the agreement on behalf of the civilian coalition for democracy and change, the message emphatically stated that the agreement reached between the two sides in the Sudan is “both historic and  exemplary pact that many friends of the Sudan, including Eritreans, aspire to have for their own peoples.”

The EPDP Chairman did not hide the fact that Sudanese authorities in the past were mostly on the side of the unrepresentative regime in Asmara but that he now hopes that the New Sudan  “will open its doors for us in the opposition - “the other Eritrean- and discuss how the Sudanese people can help change the situation also in neighboring Eritrea.”

Reprinted below is the full message of the EPDP Chair to the Sudanese people and government.

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To:

H.E. General Abdel -Fattah Abdelrahman Burhan,  Head of Military Council,

Khartoum, the Sudan;

To:

Mr. Ahmed al-Rabie, Representative of the Alliance of Civilian Forces for Freedom and Change, Khartoum Sudan

Dear Sirs,

On behalf of the Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) in exile and all its friends and sympathizers at home and in diaspora, I am deeply pleased to convey to you and through you to the people of fraternal Sudan the heartfelt congratulations for your joint success to reach a promising deal for a smooth transition to democratic governance in your country.

 Believe me, Sirs, we in the EPDP, a mainstream Eritrean party struggling for a similar democratic transition in our country, and other pro-democracy Eritreans everywhere, are today sharing the boundless joy and hope being expressed by our brothers and sisters in the Sudan. We have been keenly and anxiously following the developments in the Sudan since the very start of the People Power movement which is now being crowned with success.

Your Excellency General Burhan and Brother Ahmed al Rabie,

The document for the transition agreement that you signed on 17 August 2019 is both historic and an exemplary pact that many friends of the Sudan, including Eritreans, aspire to have for their own peoples.

Yet, we also wish to call on all friends in the Sudan to work hard in the years to come in order to guarantee a long lasting success of this hard-won victory, because, as they say, the devil could always be in the detail.  In the meantime, we remain trustful that, after so many ups and downs, democracy and the rule of law in the Sudan will finally be a reality.

Dear Sirs,

We in the EPDP have been trying to reach the former authorities in the Sudan through a chain of memoranda addressed to the Foreign Ministry, the Head of State and through Sudan’s Permanent Mission in the UN, but to avail. As you can consult their archives, no responses were made to our earnest appeals to understand the sad situation inside Eritrea and the endless suffering of Eritreans in forced exile. Although this is not the occasion to dwell on this issue, Sirs, we sincerely hope that the new Sudan will open its doors for us in the opposition - “the other Eritreans” - and discuss how the Sudanese people can help change the situation also in neighboring Eritrea.

Respectfully yours, 

Tesfai Woldemichael (Degiga), Chairman

The Eritrean People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) in exile - August 19, 2019