Sudan pledges political reform, warns against ‘parallel army’
January 12, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – Sudan’s deputy leader Malik Agar said on Sunday that the government is overhauling laws governing political parties to prepare for elections after the conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is resolved.
Agar, who is deputy head of the Sovereign Council, said in a televised address the government was restructuring the Council for Political Party Affairs and revising legislation to prepare for a “foundational political process” that would lead to a civilian-led government.
He urged political factions to move beyond “contradiction and adversarial demands” and work towards a political settlement that would culminate in elections.
Agar, who also heads the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North/Revolutionary Front, said a committee had been formed to plan reconstruction efforts in areas devastated by fighting.
He also warned armed groups who have joined the fight against the RSF not to use the conflict to establish a “parallel army,” saying their participation should be a catalyst to strengthen the national army.
Agar accused those who have supported the RSF, including by fighting alongside them, of being complicit in the bloodshed and said they would be held accountable. He said authorities had documented RSF violations and “everyone who has committed a crime will be brought to justice.”
He ruled out any peace initiative that undermines Sudan’s sovereignty or allows for the RSF’s return.
Agar also addressed concerns about humanitarian aid groups, accusing some of acting in the interests of foreign powers. He said some groups were fabricating reasons to enter Sudan without government permission, citing the pretext of visas and exaggerating the scale of the humanitarian crisis.
He said the government was working to rid state institutions of political bias and implement reforms to the civil service.
“Those who seek to reach power at the expense of the blood of the Sudanese… will not succeed,” Agar said. “Sudan is bigger than to be reduced to their small ambitions.”