Armed Groups Endorse Khartoum Deal, Request More Talks on Darfur Peace Financing
PM AbdallahHamdok (L)) and SRF leader Hadi Idris in Juba September 2019 (ST photo)
July 9, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The armed groups handed over to the Sudanese government their response to a draft agreement on the power-sharing at the federal and regional levels and expressed reservations about the financing of the agreement and their participation in Darfur regional institutions.
The Sudanese government and the armed movements under the banner of the Revolutionary Front and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi, during a series of meeting in Khartoum, reached an agreement giving them three seats at the Sovereign Council, besides granting them 25% of government positions and 25% of the seats in the Transitional Legislative Council.
The mediation attached to the draft of this agreement a proposal by the government on the financing of peace implementation, in which it stated, "The transitional government is committed to bridging the financial gap required to implement the peace agreement in Darfur."
Also, it added another article on the power-sharing in Darfur, which talks about granting 40% of the regional authority to the armed groups, 40% to the government, and 20% to stakeholders.
The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok held a virtual meeting with the leaders of the armed movements in Juba Thursday, to congratulate them on the progress made in the talks held in Khartoum.
He also hailed their decision to send a joint delegation to Khartoum to negotiate the sticky issues and considered it a step worthy of appreciation that no armed movement had previously taken in Africa before them.
Hamdok who was criticized in the past for not closely following the peace talks stressed that achieving peace in the country is a strategic goal pursued by his government.
Participated in the meeting with the armed movements, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Omer Monis, Minister of Federal Government Youssef Adam Aldai, the South Sudanese Mediator and his team members and the delegation of armed movements currently in Khartoum.
SRF leader Hadi Idris told Sudan Tribune after the meeting that the discussions with the Prime Minister were fruitful and encouraging to continue on the path of peace.
Idris revealed they handed over to the mediation their response to the draft power sharing-agreement, in which they endorsed the agreements reached recently in the Khartoum meetings, especially those related to the Transitional Legislative Council.
"Our response addressed, in particular, the articles related to financing the agreement and we asked the government to provide us with the 13 billion dollars needed to implement the agreement within 10 years or to disburse the 5 billion dollars at 500 million dollars annually during the same period as it proposed."
"However, in this second situation, we proposed that the government should authorize the regional authority in Darfur to implement investment projects in the mining sector. the revenue of these investments would be allocated to finance the return of refugees and displaced persons to their areas of origin, the compensations that would be paid to them, financing of the war crimes tribunals in Darfur, the Land Commission and other matters agreed by the peace parties".
The SRF leader further said that the allocation of 40% of power in Darfur at the regional and state levels to the armed groups is not enough and they called for further negotiations on this matter.
Initially, they asked for 60% of the regional institutions.
He stressed that negotiations on security arrangements will begin in the near future in Juba.
"Hamdok emphasized this matter. Also, he promised to study the response of the Armed Struggle Forces on the power-sharing in Darfur and to respond to it at the earliest time."
Referring to the cabinet reshuffle, he made clear that they had nothing to do with the dismissal of ministers, especially since they had not yet signed the peace agreement.
"It is not possible to talk about joining the transitional government at this stage as it was purported,". he stressed.
(ST)
July 9, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - The armed groups handed over to the Sudanese government their response to a draft agreement on the power-sharing at the federal and regional levels and expressed reservations about the financing of the agreement and their participation in Darfur regional institutions.
The Sudanese government and the armed movements under the banner of the Revolutionary Front and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi, during a series of meeting in Khartoum, reached an agreement giving them three seats at the Sovereign Council, besides granting them 25% of government positions and 25% of the seats in the Transitional Legislative Council.
The mediation attached to the draft of this agreement a proposal by the government on the financing of peace implementation, in which it stated, "The transitional government is committed to bridging the financial gap required to implement the peace agreement in Darfur."
Also, it added another article on the power-sharing in Darfur, which talks about granting 40% of the regional authority to the armed groups, 40% to the government, and 20% to stakeholders.
The Sudanese Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok held a virtual meeting with the leaders of the armed movements in Juba Thursday, to congratulate them on the progress made in the talks held in Khartoum.
He also hailed their decision to send a joint delegation to Khartoum to negotiate the sticky issues and considered it a step worthy of appreciation that no armed movement had previously taken in Africa before them.
Hamdok who was criticized in the past for not closely following the peace talks stressed that achieving peace in the country is a strategic goal pursued by his government.
Participated in the meeting with the armed movements, Minister of Cabinet Affairs Omer Monis, Minister of Federal Government Youssef Adam Aldai, the South Sudanese Mediator and his team members and the delegation of armed movements currently in Khartoum.
SRF leader Hadi Idris told Sudan Tribune after the meeting that the discussions with the Prime Minister were fruitful and encouraging to continue on the path of peace.
Idris revealed they handed over to the mediation their response to the draft power sharing-agreement, in which they endorsed the agreements reached recently in the Khartoum meetings, especially those related to the Transitional Legislative Council.
"Our response addressed, in particular, the articles related to financing the agreement and we asked the government to provide us with the 13 billion dollars needed to implement the agreement within 10 years or to disburse the 5 billion dollars at 500 million dollars annually during the same period as it proposed."
"However, in this second situation, we proposed that the government should authorize the regional authority in Darfur to implement investment projects in the mining sector. the revenue of these investments would be allocated to finance the return of refugees and displaced persons to their areas of origin, the compensations that would be paid to them, financing of the war crimes tribunals in Darfur, the Land Commission and other matters agreed by the peace parties".
The SRF leader further said that the allocation of 40% of power in Darfur at the regional and state levels to the armed groups is not enough and they called for further negotiations on this matter.
Initially, they asked for 60% of the regional institutions.
He stressed that negotiations on security arrangements will begin in the near future in Juba.
"Hamdok emphasized this matter. Also, he promised to study the response of the Armed Struggle Forces on the power-sharing in Darfur and to respond to it at the earliest time."
Referring to the cabinet reshuffle, he made clear that they had nothing to do with the dismissal of ministers, especially since they had not yet signed the peace agreement.
"It is not possible to talk about joining the transitional government at this stage as it was purported,". he stressed.
(ST)
No comments:
Post a Comment