Tomorrow, peace in Sudan?

Text by: RFI Follow

3 min

A peace deal was initialed over the weekend by representatives of the Sudanese government and those of the country's main armed groups - mainly from Darfur. It aims to end seventeen years of civil war. The text must be officially signed this Monday, August 31 in Juba, the capital of South Sudan where negotiations have taken place in recent months. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok also arrived in Juba on Sunday, August 30, afternoon for the signing of this historic agreement.

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After ten months of negotiations, Khartoum and the main armed groups in Darfur , South Kordofan and Blue Nile have finally agreed on the sharing of power, on security, justice and the return of refugees. A dozen movements have initialed the document and are ready to sign the final agreement on Monday in Juba.

Among them is the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, which brings together four armed groups. For the spokesperson of this coalition, Mohammed Zakaria, this agreement which should end seventeen years of civil war is a victory.

“ A few days ago when we signed the agreement on security issues - which are the most difficult points of this comprehensive agreement - some people started to cry. It was very moving, because it is truly a victory, especially for all the victims of this conflict. The violence did not start in 89 with the arrival of Omar al-Bashir, discrimination, the lack of sharing of power, of sharing of resources, it all started in 56, just after independence. And after all this time, that we have finally managed to find solutions to these problems is a real victory. People are happy, not only politicians, or armed groups, but also civil society, all those who live in camps in Darfur and who have a tragic history  , ”explains Mohammed Zakaria.

The document provides in particular for the dismantling of armed groups, their integration into the regular army or the participation of these movements in the government of Khartoum. He also mentions justice for the crimes committed during the civil war in Darfur and Khartoum's cooperation with the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Two movements did not take part in the negotiations. But Khartoum still hopes to convince them to lay down their arms.

A year after coming to power, the government of Abdallah Hamdok made this agreement with the armed groups a priority to bring peace to the country and turn the page on the years of Omar al-Bashir. "  We really hope today that all of us can end the war, develop our country, have a democracy and respect each other  ", concludes Mohammed Zakaria.

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• Sudan
• Abdalla Hamdok

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