Non-signatories warn against instability in Sudan if new government formed without them
March 28, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The deputy head of the Democratic Bloc, Gibril Ibrahim, announced on Tuesday that they had warned the commander in chief of the Sudanese army against instability in Sudan if they formed a government without them.
On Monday, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met with the leaders of the Democratic Bloc in a bid to convince them to join the final political agreement, which is expected to be signed on the first of April.
In a meeting with journalists in Khartoum on Wednesday, Ibrahim disclosed that they requested al-Burhan to take the needed decisions to ensure security and stability in the country through the organization of an inclusive process to achieve national consensus.
“We told him frankly that if things go this way, they will not stabilize the country and their consequences are unknown,” he said.
“Therefore, it is better that he assumes his responsibility as the first official in the country and correct the course in order to avoid a disaster,” he further emphasized.
The Democratic Bloc mainly gathers two former armed groups from the Darfur region (SLM-MM and JEM), eastern Sudan’s Beja tribal group, a faction of the Democratic Unionist Party led by Gaffar al-Mirghani and some other groups.
The deputy leader of the holdout coalition contested the legitimacy of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) to lead the formation of a civilian government.
He excluded their participation in the upcoming government stressing that they reject the basis of the ongoing process and call for a new pact.
“Our condition is that we negotiate the final agreement with equal forces from the Central Council (FFC) and the other political components so that they are equally represented to negotiate the final political agreement,” Ibrahim underscored.
Under the pressure of the military component, the FFC and their allies of the anti-coup groups accepted to include four political forces besides SLM-MM and JEM.
However, the non-signatories have now made it clear that their goal is to prevent the pro-democracy coalition from leading the transition alone.
Several leaders of the Democratic Bloc held a political meeting in the capital of North Darfur State El-Fasher to denounce the ongoing process on Wednesday.
In his remarks at El-Fasher meeting, Mubarak Ardol, called on al-Burhan to correct the course of the current process after saying that the military leader was in a difficult position.
“I want to send a message to General al-Burhan that you alone can fix this problem and now you have the opportunity to do it. Do not ally with specific political forces. The armed forces must remain the protector of the homeland and the constitution,” he added.
(ST)