Sudan’s Process Forces to Meet Non-signatories Ahead of the Final Agreement

Leaders of former Darfur rebel groups Minni Minnawi (L) Gibril Ibrahim (C), participate in the a founding meeting of the FFC National Charter in Khartoum on October 2, 2021. (AFP photo)

March 26, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – A spokesman for the political process in Sudan revealed they would hand over the draft final agreement to the non-signatories of the framework agreement to get their comment on it.

The political agreement drafting committee held a meeting on Sunday with the civilian and military signatories on Sunday where it was agreed to hand over observations and comments on the first draft on March 29, two days before the signing of the final agreement.

In a statement released after the meeting, Khalid Omer Youssif, said they discussed a report by a committee tasked with the outreach of non-signatories.

“The meeting decided to redouble efforts to urge them to sign the political declaration and join the ongoing political process,”

He further expressed hope they discuss it with them and they sign the final political agreement with the parties to the framework political agreement on April 1.

The Sovereign Council in a statement released about the meeting added that the outreach committee will meet the non-signatories on Monday.

The meeting, which took place at the Sudanese presidency, was attended by the head of the Sovereign Council and his deputy as well as the civilian signatories and the facilitation panel.

In remarks delivered at the opening session of the security reform workshop on Sunday, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan called on the holdout groups to join the political process, stressing that it meets the aspirations of the Sudanese people and serves the goals of change and democratic transition.

The Democratic Bloc coalition rejects to join the political process calling to review the agreed document and to include all the members of the coalition.

Recently, the signatories showed a willingness to include four political groups besides the two Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) of Gibril Ibrahim and the Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi.

The signatories named the Democratic Unionist Party of Gaffar al-Mirghani, the National Movement Forces of Tijani al-Sisi, the Popular Front for Liberation and Justice of al-Amin Daoud and the Beja Chiefdoms Council of Mohamed Terik.

On Saturday, al-Sisi rejected the offer saying they want all the Democratic Bloc factions to be included in the process to create a balance with the Forces for Freedom and Change which control the process.

His statements echoed a previous statement made by Mubarak Ardol one of the Bloc leaders who said they want all their parties (over 16 groups after a conference sponsored by the Egyptian government) to join the deal in order to prevent the FFC from ruling the country alone.

(ST)