International welcome and local rejection of new Sudanese agreement

The final phase of the political process in Sudan was launched on Monday, January 9, which aims to reach a final agreement to transfer power to civilians and resolve the crisis the country has been experiencing since the army's coup against the transitional authority on October 25, 2021.

Civilian parties, led by the Forces for Freedom and Change - Central Council (FFC-CC), signed the Framework Agreement with the military side on December 5, 2022. The recommendations of the ongoing workshops will be the basis for the final agreement between the military and civilians.

The vision of FFC-CC on the foundations and principles of a political solution that would lead to ending the coup, issued on October 17, 2022, defined the parties of the political process and their roles, named the forces of the revolution opposed to the October 25 coup, and gave them the right to choose the prime minister and the head of the Sovereignty Council.

According to the vision, the transitional forces are those who signed the political declaration, participated in the draft transitional constitution prepared by the Steering Committee of the Bar Association, and granted them the right to consult with the prime minister during his endeavor to form the executive authority.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, confirmed during a speech marking the launch of the final phase of the political process in Sudan that “military institutions will not have any role in the democratic transition in Sudan.”

He expressed his hope for the “formation of a real civilian government that reflects the wishes of the Sudanese people,” indicating that the “armed forces will be subject to the orders of the transitional authority that will result from the elections sooner or later.”

International welcome and domestic rejection

The Forces for Freedom and Change and the tripartite mechanism facilitating the Sudanese dialogue, consisting of the United Nations, the African Union and the IGAD Group, announced the completion of preparations for the launch of the final phase.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations praised the launch of the final phase of the political process to end military rule and re-establish a civilian transitional government in Sudan.

In a statement issued on Monday, Antonio Guterres stressed that the second phase “marks another important step forward towards realizing the aspirations of the Sudanese people for democracy, peace and sustainable development.”

He called for the involvement of women, youth and civil society in this process and urged the armed groups that signed the Juba Peace Agreement to join the political process.

The states of Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya welcomed the launch of the final phase of the political process in Sudan that aims to lead to a civilian-led government and enhance the stability of Sudan, emphasizing their support for everything that the Sudanese agree upon.

However, the Framework Agreement has received wide rejection from local political players, including the resistance committees that lead the current movement in the street, leftist parties such as the communist and Baathist parties, the Sudanese Professionals Association, and some armed movements that signed the Juba Peace Agreement.

Final stage issues

At this stage, which is expected to last three weeks, five issues will be discussed, including transitional justice, military and security reform, the peace agreement signed in October 2020, the dismantling of the June 30 regime, i.e. the regime of ousted President Omar al-Bashir, and the issue of eastern Sudan. The first workshop, which is set to last four days, will discuss a roadmap for renewing the process of dismantling the June 30 regime.

The workshops will be held under the auspices and supervision of the Quartet (United States, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Britain) and the tripartite mechanism (the African Union, the United Nations Mission in Sudan - UNITAMIS, and the East African Organization for Development - IGAD).