Sudan’s opposition to give its response on draft framework agreement Saturday
June 21, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) will announce Saturday its position on a draft framework agreement made by the Ethiopian mediator Mahmoud Dirir.
Dirir upon his return to Khartoum on Thursday met with the opposition and handed over a draft Declaration of Principles on Transitional Arrangements based on his consultations with them and the Transitional Military Council (TMC)
In a short statement released late on Friday, the FFC confirmed the receipt of the draft proposal and said they will make public their response on Saturday.
“This document is now subject to discussion within the forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change, which will meet Ethiopian mediator Mahmoud Dirir on Saturday to inform him about its position on the proposal,” said the statement.
Opposition sources told Sudan Tribune that the draft agreement was approved by the FFC factions and they will inform him that during Saturday’s meeting.
However, the sources declined to disclose the content of the agreement as they expect that the Ethiopian mediator will make it after consulting the military junta.
The FFC suspended talks with the TMC on 3 June after the killing of over a hundred protesters by Sudanese military forces who raided the pro-democracy sit-in.
TMC officials seemed inclined to approve the proposal as they insisted in a statement on the need for a national consensus.
The Deputy Chairman Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” said they want a comprehensive solution accepted by all the parties” adding they do not “want them (the FFC) tomorrow resume protest,” he said on Thursday.
Previously, he sought to mobilize popular support for the military council saying they want to form the transitional government from all the segments of the Sudanese society.
The African Union’s Peace and Security Council is expected to discuss the situation in Sudan after the end of the delay given to the military council to hand over power to civilian-led administration on 30 June.
The Regional Partners of the Sudan, in a meeting convened by the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi explicitly, called on the military council to resume talks with the FFC on the remaining aspect of an agreement reached last May to avoid accusations that they encourage the TMC to exclude the opposition.
(ST)