No agreement without clear schedules for RSF integration: Sudanese army

April 2, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Brig Gen Nabil Abdallah, Spokesman for the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), has made it clear that the signing of the final political agreement hinges on the establishment of clear schedules for integrating the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the national army.

According to press statements published Sunday in Khartoum, Abdallah emphasized the RSF merger arrangements should be an integral part of the final agreement.

“We cannot have two armies in the country,” he noted, highlighting the importance of a well-defined timeline for the merger process.

The military spokesman further said that committees are currently working on the technical aspects of the merger, including agreed-upon schedules and timings.

“Only with these crucial details in place can a final agreement be reached,” he stressed.

On Saturday, the parties to the framework agreement agreed to sign the final political agreement (political declaration) and the transitional constitution on Wednesday, April 6.

Initially, the signing of the political declaration was scheduled for the first of April. But SAF and the RSF failed to agree on the schedules for the RSF integration.

In accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed on March 15, the integration process was stipulated to be completed “within a maximum of 10 years”.

However, during the security and military reform workshop, the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) proposed that the integration should be accomplished within the two-year timeframe of the transitional government.

While the army delegation acknowledged the 10-year ceiling, they argued that the integration should ideally be completed within two years.

The two delegations are still in discussions to finalize the four-stage plan for integrating the paramilitary forces into the national army.

(ST)