A question of legitimacy

If reports are accurate that Abdalla Hamdok has sought police intervention when confronted by Sudanese diaspora members during visits to Western countries, a more fundamental question arises:

Who, exactly, does he claim to represent?

The Sudanese diaspora is not a fringe constituency to be managed or dismissed. It includes people who have fled the war, witnessed the destruction of their country, and have every right to question those who present themselves as Sudan’s political representatives.

Seeking police protection when genuinely threatened is one thing. Treating persistent political opposition as a security problem is quite another.

You cannot claim to speak for the Sudanese people while treating their questions as a threat.

Legitimacy cannot be conferred by international recognition alone, nor established through meetings with foreign governments.

Ultimately, it must rest on the consent of the people in whose name you seek to act.