Democratic Bloc is unconcerned about Sudan’s framework agreement: spokesman
December 15, 2022 (KHARTOUM) -The holdout Democratic Bloc renewed calls to open the political framework agreement for negotiations following a meeting with the facilitation mechanism on Thursday.
The coalition held a meeting with a tripartite panel of the African Union, IGAD and UNITAMS, which facilitates the ongoing efforts to strike an inclusive deal paving the way to end the military coup and establish a fully civilian government.
In a statement released after the meeting the Democratic Bloc Spokesman Mohamed Zakaria said they told the Trilateral Mechanism that they are indifferent towards the so-called framework agreement.
“Democratic Bloc stressed the need for a political process that includes the vision of all parties on an equal footing, in order to reach a comprehensive solution acceptable to all,” he further said.
The coalition, which includes some signatories of the Juba peace agreement, voiced its rejection of the agreement because it provides to review of the peace pact and to form a transitional government from civilians who do not belong to any political force.
Instead, the coalition proposes to amend the 2019 constitutional declaration and to keep the partnership with the military component.
Minni Minnawi the Bloc’s Political Secretary travelled to Juba seeking to involve the South Sudanese President in their dispute with the signatories of the framework agreement.
In a tweet posted on December 14, Minnawi said President Kiir directed the Chairman of the Peace Committee Tut Gatluak to hold a workshop in mid-January 2023 to assess the implementation of the peace agreement in order to set new schedules for implementing the deal.
On December 13, the National Umma Party (NUP) acting Chairman Fadlallah Burma and his deputy Mariam al-Mahdi met with the Democratic Block to discuss a way out of the political stalemate.
“The two parties agreed to form two committees to reconcile the positions of the two blocs,” said Minnawi but the FFC did not issue a statement on the NUP initiative.
Al-Burhan, on December 14, reiterated calls for non-signatory groups to ink the framework agreement saying it would pave the way for an exit from the current crisis.
The signatories of the framework agreement have to hold talks on the sticky issues including justice and transitional justice, review of the Juba peace agreement, security reform, and dismantlement of the al-Bashir regime.
(ST)