The tripartite mechanism sponsoring the political process in Sudan said that the agreement between the parties enjoys international, regional and local support, but one of the forces announced its refusal and pledged to move the street, amid the military affirming their commitment to withdraw from the political scene.

In turn, the head of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, affirmed that the military establishment will not back down from its pledge to withdraw from the political scene and hand over the leadership of the political transition to civilians, adding that the military establishment will push the rest of the political and civil forces to join the political track.

A member of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Al-Taher Abu Bakr Hajar, stressed the need to impose the prestige of the state and the rule of law, in order to establish security and enhance stability in Sudan, according to the Sudan News Agency.

Hajar reiterated his assertion that there will not be a return to the war square again, and added that we will not let anyone seek to separate any part of Sudan at any cost, indicating that the Juba Sudan peace agreement linked holding elections to the return of the displaced and refugees to their areas of origin as a basic right for citizens.

On the other hand, the Forces for Freedom and Change - the Democratic Bloc rejected the framework agreement, and said that it is unacceptable in its current form, and pledged to move the street to bring it down.

The bloc stated that it had stopped indirect meetings with the Freedom and Change Group - the Central Council.

Al-Burhan: The military establishment will not back down from its pledge to withdraw from the political scene (Al-Jazeera)

Major issues

And Al-Jazeera correspondent Al-Taher Al-Mardi reported that the meetings, which began on Sunday evening, in the presence of Al-Burhan and General Muhammad Hamdan Daglo (Hamidti), Vice President of the Sovereignty Council, establish a final agreement for the next stage of the political process in Sudan.

The final agreement includes 5 issues: justice and transitional justice, security and military reform, review and evaluation of the peace agreement, the dismantling of the June 30, 1989 regime, and the issue of eastern Sudan.

Among the most prominent provisions of the agreement: the army's distancing from politics, the adoption of a transitional period of two years starting from the date of the appointment of a prime minister, the launch of a comprehensive process for drafting the constitution under the supervision of the Constitution Drafting Commission, and the organization of a comprehensive electoral process at the end of the transitional period.

The agreement between the Sudanese parties aims to resolve a prolonged crisis since October 25, 2021, when the head of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, imposed exceptional measures, including: dissolving the Sovereign Council and the transitional ministers, arresting ministers and politicians, declaring a state of emergency, and dismissing governors (governors).

On December 5, 2022, the military component signed a framework agreement with civilians led by the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, other political forces (the original Democratic Unionist Party, the People’s Congress), civil society organizations, and armed movements under the banner of the Revolutionary Front;

to start a two-year transitional period.

International and regional support

For its part, the tripartite mechanism facilitating the dialogue, which consists of the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the United Nations Mission, said that the framework agreement between the Sudanese forces had received great support from the political forces and the international and regional community.

The Quartet and the Troika (Norway, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America) welcomed - in a press release - the launch of the second and final phase of the political process in Sudan, to restore democratic transition in Sudan.

The statement mentioned the commitment to the inclusiveness of the political process, the emphasis on the active participation of women and youth, and the involvement of representatives from all parts of Sudan, and marginalized communities in particular, in this dialogue.

To contribute to shaping the future of their country.

The statement called on all parties to engage in good faith in these dialogues and focus efforts to complete the negotiations and reach an agreement quickly, as this is necessary to address the urgent political, economic, security and humanitarian challenges in Sudan, and it is also essential for the resumption of international aid and investment and raising the level of cooperation between the Government of Sudan and international partners. According to the statement.

The members of the Quartet and Troika stressed the condemnation of any attempts to undermine this political process, or to create more instability within Sudan.

In this context, the Turkish Foreign Ministry welcomed - yesterday, Sunday - the launch of the second phase of the talks on the political process between the Sudanese parties.

In a statement, the ministry affirmed that Ankara attaches importance to the continuation of the transitional process on a broad ground that includes all parties in Sudan, and stressed that Turkey will continue to stand by the brotherly Sudanese people during the next stage, as it has done so until today.