Sudan’s regional partners call to resume talks on “pending aspects” of transitional authority

June 20, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Regional Partners of the Sudan called on the Sudanese parties to reach an agreement on the “remaining pending aspects” of the transitional authority and reiterated their support to the African efforts to settle the crisis.

The call for the resumption of talks on sticking points increases regional and international pressures on the military council which seeks to renegotiate the deal struck with the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), opening the door for further political instability.

Upon an invitation by Egypt, the current chairman of the African Union, top diplomats from Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan and Uganda, held a meeting in Addis Ababa to discuss the situation in the Sudan.

The participants voiced their support to the regional initiatives, in particular, those led by the African Union Commission and IGAD, to bring the Sudanese parties to resume talks over the formation of the transitional authority.

They further urged the “Transitional Military Council and the Forces for Freedom and Change and all other relevant Sudanese political stakeholders’ to resume direct dialogue with a view to promptly agreeing on the remaining pending aspects of the arrangements required to launch the transitional phase”.

Last May, the junta and the opposition agreed that the transitional government would be formed by the FFC which led the protests against the regime of the former president Omer al-Bashir. Also, it was agreed that 67% of the appointed transitional parliament will represent the different opposition factions.

During the past days, the military council launched a series of meetings with tribal leaders and some groups presented as women and youth representatives.

Also, they encouraged the political groups formerly allied to the al-Bashir’s regime to form new entities and demand to be included in the transitional structures.

The talks were suspended after the killing of over a hundred protesters by the Sudanese army militiamen on 3 June.

(ST)