East Sudan tribal group gives gov’t two weeks before re-closing Port Sudan
December 5, 2021 (KHARTOUM) – The Supreme Council of Beja Chiefdoms repeated its demand to repeal the eastern Sudan peace agreement and gave the government two additional weeks before closing again the country’s terminals on the Red Sea and blocking roads.
While the eastern Sudan signatory groups of the Juba peace pact voiced their sharp rejection of any attempt to break down the deal.
The tribal body had already cut Port Sudan from the rest of the country from 17 September to 31 October saying the removal of Hamdok second cabinet was one of its demands and gave a one-month delay to cancel the eastern Sudan peace agreement which is their principal demand.
Before the end of the deadline on December 4, the Council once again threatened to close the vital port and roads linking the country with the world.
On Saturday, the tribal body stated that the government committee charged with the eastern Sudan crisis, led by the Vice-Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, requested to give them 15 days to settle the dispute over the Juba peace agreement for eastern Sudan.
“The Supreme Council discussed the request of the Sovereign Council’s committee and agreed to grant the specified time period, which ends on the 19th of December.”
The Sovereign Council called the leaders of the 17 tribal components in eastern Sudan for consultations in Khartoum with the view to reach a solution accepted by all the stakeholders.
However, it seems that the military who previously encouraged the protest movement in eastern Sudan have now failed to narrow the gaps between the tribal chiefs against the agreement and those who are supportive of the Juba peace deal.
Mahmoud Tahir Al-Haj Chairman of the Eastern Sudan Political and Civil Society Forces Alliance who is supporting the agreement told Aljazeera TV on Saturday that the reason for the current crisis is more tribal than political.
He further stressed that cancelling the deal in response to the demand made by one tribal group would lead to a tribal conflict between the Beja groups in eastern Sudan.
For his part, Said Abu Amna le Council Secretary-General disclosed that they received promises from the Sovereign Council to abrogate the deal emphasizing they there is no official decision or even official negotiations over the peace agreement of October 2020.
Peace Signatories warn
In response to this development, the two eastern Sudan groups that signed the peace deal in Juba issued a statement on Sunday rejecting any attempt to repeal the agreement and called for its immediate implementation.
The leaders of the two groups Ussama Saeed and Khalid Shawish said that refuse to recognize “the so-called Council of Beja Chiefdoms” saying it is a tool under the control of the former regime to destabilize eastern Sudan.
They further declared their “unlimited cooperation with the Sovereign Council Committee (…) to find a just and equitable solution that satisfies everyone”.
The Council which is dominated by the Hadandwa group rejected a proposal to give them 30% of the national and regional positions dedicated to the region in line with the power-sharing deal.
(ST)