Jeddah process requires a new vision, says Arman
October 31, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Yasir Arman, a prominent leader of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) Coalition, has emphasized the need for a fresh perspective within the Jeddah platform, taking into consideration both internal and external dynamics.
The Jeddah process, facilitated by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union, and IGAD, is currently engaged in discussions regarding humanitarian aid distribution, a ceasefire, and the potential for a lasting cessation of hostilities.
In a message posted on the X platform (formerly Twitter), Arman conveyed that “the Jeddah negotiations require a new vision that acknowledges internal and external factors.”
Arman who is also the head of the SPLM-N Democratic Revolutionary Current called upon “civil and military forces to bravely confront Sudan’s current circumstances and present comprehensive alternatives aimed at reducing human and material losses.”
He advocated for alternatives rooted in protecting civilians, halting violations, facilitating humanitarian aid, establishing a unified professional army, instituting civilian governance, achieving justice and reconciliation, dismantling existing state institutions, and establishing new ones to oversee reconstruction and economic reform.
The negotiations, which resumed last Monday, have reached an impasse due to the reluctance of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to accept withdrawing its fighters from Khartoum and other urban areas in Darfur. The Sudanese army insists on the full implementation of this provision, referencing agreements inked in May, but the RSF appears unwilling to comply.
Arman stressed the necessity for the Sudanese army to free itself from the previous regime, which instigated the conflict and bears responsibility for the combat and the degradation of the armed forces, as he said.
“The Islamist faction and remnants that fueled the war and propagated it have begun to shoulder blame following the dismal failure of their coup and war efforts. Confessions have emerged, acknowledging that the assault on the Sports City was instigated by the Islamic Movement to involve the army in the conflict,” he said.
The conflict initially erupted on April 15 at the Sports City compound, south of Khartoum, where RSF troops were encamped before spreading across the capital and extending to other regions, engulfing Khartoum State, Darfur, and Kordofan regions.
Furthermore, Arman called on the RSF to leverage their current situation to seek sustainable strategic solutions by learning from the failed strategies of the former regime, which relied on violence, force, and a disregard for the people and democracy.
He cautioned against the potential expansion of events similar to those in Nyala, El Geneina, and Zalingei to other areas, emphasizing the profound political, economic, and military repercussions on the balance of war and politics.
On Tuesday, the RSF seized control of the army base in Zalingei, Central Darfur, just days after capturing the army’s headquarters in Nyala, South Darfur.
Sudanese hold hope that the negotiations in Jeddah will lead to a resolution of the conflict that has persisted since April 15 of this year, displacing 5.9 million people from their homes and fostering deep civil divisions.
(ST)