Sudan, armed groups sign new implementation agreement for Juba peace agreement
February 19, 2023 (KHARTOUM/JUBA) – The Sudanese military-led transitional government and several armed signatories to the Juba peace agreement on Sunday signed a two-year new implementation matrix for implementing the pact.
The transitional government in Khartoum and the armed groups signed a peace agreement on October 3, 2020, but the lack of money, the power struggle between the civilian and military components and a coup d’etat in October 2021 complicated the implementation process.
As the grantor, South Sudan organized a workshop to evaluate the agreement’s implementation and set out recommendations for its swift implementation.
The head of the Sovereign Council Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was in Juba to attend the signing ceremony.
The implementation matrix was signed by a member of the Sovereignty Council, Gen Shams al-Din Kabbashi for the Sudanese government and leaders of the signatory groups: Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), SLM Transitional Council, Justice and Equality Movement, the SPLM-N Malik Agar, the United People’s Front, the Beja Congress, the Northern Entity, the Third Front Tamazuj and Kosh Liberation Movement.
President Salva Kiir signed the text as the guarantor, while al-Burhan signed as a witness.
The matrix dealt mainly with security arrangements, wealth, and power sharing.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir stressed that the signed document did not amend the peace agreement signed in 2020, but aimed at paving the way towards sustainable peace.
“The aim of this workshop is to create an enabling environment for all parties and stakeholders to assess the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement. Specifically, the workshop assesses the challenges encountered during implementation in the past two years with the aim of urging the parties to do so,” Kiir said.
He further stressed that the new arrangements would accelerate the new transitional government in Sudan.
He recalled that peace in Sudan means peace in South Sudan and called on the Sudanese government to engage with the holdout groups.
In the same vein, al-Burhan declared his commitment to the peace pact and confirmed what Kiir said about the need for stability in the two countries.
“The implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement will help implement the 2012 cooperation agreement (between the two Sudans), provide common security at the borders, and open border points for trade and exchange,” he said.
The government still has to conclude an agreement with the SPLM-N led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu in the Nuba Mountains and the SLM-led by Abdel Whaid al-Nur in the Jebel Marra area of the Darfur region.
Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the Deputy head of the Sovereign Council did not attend the signing ceremony. Also, the Forces for Freedom and Changes did not take part in the event. Instead, were present, the signatories of the Cairo political agreement the new allies of two armed groups rejecting the framework agreement.
(ST)