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Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

National Charter groups postpone signing of new political declaration

Leaders of the FFC National Consensus that turned to National Charter coalition

قادة الحرية والتغيير ــ التوافق الوطني

January 8, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – A leading in the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) National Charter, which support the military component, said they postponed the signing of a joint declaration for more development.

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) official, Mohamad Zakaria, told the Sudan Tribune that “the signing of the (postponed) declaration (on the transitional period), which was expected to take place on Saturday between political forces and the signatory groups, was postponed.”

“The political declaration is designed to be in phase with the November 21st framework agreement, which required a declaration governing the remainder of the transition period.”

However after the prime minister’s resignation, there is a consensus on the need for a political declaration addressing the current “delicate situation” in the country, he added.

The National Charter coalition which includes SLM Minni Minawi and JEM of Gibril Ibrahim worked together with the acting leader of the National Umma Party (NUP) Fadlallah Burma and some other small groups to bring Abdallah Hamdok to sign a framework agreement with the coup leader Abdel- Fattah al-Burhan last November.

Burma, under the pressure of the NUP leadership, did not attend the signing ceremony. Also, the Party issued a statement rejecting the deal et recalled its adherence to the joint stance of the FFC Central Council.

However, the FFC mainstream group engaged in talks with the National Charter groups on a joint political declaration but the two failed to finalize an agreement.

According to Zakaria, the groups that were disposed to ink the postponed declaration are JEM, SLM-MM, the Republican Party, Haq Movement, the United Federal Party and the Centrist Gathering.

In addition, the Federal National Party led by Youssif Mohamed Zain, the Baath of Yahya al-Hussein, as well as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani, are also among the groups that would join the declaration, he said.

He mentioned the NUP acting head Fadlallah Burma would be among the signatories but the Party’s General Secretariat on Saturday evening denied taking part in this declaration.

For its part, the DUP did not issue a statement on this development.

A senior official in the party leadership who spoke to the Sudan Tribune under anonymity confirmed their participation in the postponed declaration. But he pointed to the need to include the Resistance Committees in such initiative.

“Any consensual efforts that do not include or address the Resistance Committees will be isolated,” he stressed.

Also, he showed some reservations towards the UNITAMS-brokered dialogue announced on Saturday saying it may lead to the internationalization of the process.

“This initiative partly indicates the internationalization of the process, a matter that may complicate the interaction of other forces with any internal national efforts,” he said.

In line with the constitutional declaration of 2019, the DUP which was part of the government of the ousted regime is not allowed to participate in the transitional period, like the Islamist Popular Congress Party.

These groups, however, can participate in the general election by the end of the transition.

The National Charter groups and the military component seek, however, to involve them in the transition as they can be potential allies in their strive against the FFC mainstream.

(ST)