FFC agree to include peace preamble to Sudan’s interim constitutional declaration
July 15, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) ‘s political and armed factions agreed in a consultations-meeting in Addis Ababa on a draft text on ways to achieve peace during the transitional period to be added as a preamble to the Constitutional Document.
The Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa is currently hosting a joint meeting between political and armed factions of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF). Among the participants there Minni Minnawi, Malik Agar, Girbil Ibrahim, Yasir Arman, Mariam al-Mahdi, Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Mohamed Nagy al-Assam and Wajdi Saleh.
Mohamed Zakaria SRF Spokesperson told Sudan Tribune Monday that the participants discussed peace issues within the framework of the transitional process, the challenges facing the formation of a transitional government, and the FFC organizational structure.
“Until the morning of Monday, July 15, the parties have finished the first and basic issue of adapting the peace process to the framework of the democratic transitional process. A draft proposed by the SRF was welcomed and praised by the meeting and that it would be officially adopted (by the FFC forces),” he added.
Zakaria further pointed out that the peace text will be inserted as such in the draft constitutional declaration and presented during the meeting with the Transitional Military Council on Tuesday.
He said the FFC forces will brief the African Ethiopian mediation about this initiative.
In addition, the FFC groups participating in the Addis Ababa meeting will hold a press conference to announce the “historical achievement”, as he said.
The armed groups have sought to ensure their participation in the implementation transitional period since last April when they agreed in discussions held in Abu Dhabi to distinguish between the pre-transitional period and the transitional period.
The pre-transitional period will be dedicated to the peace process with the armed groups. Once the peace agreements are signed, the transitional period will begin with the inclusion of the armed groups in the three transitional institutions: the Sovereign Council, the Government and the Legislative Council.
Besides the peace process, Addis Ababa meetings are also discussing the formation of the FFC leadership council which is seen as crucial before to launch the implementation of the three-year transition.
Zakaria said that the lack of an inclusive FFC structure “disrupted” the decision-making process within the coalition and led to the emergence of a “flawed practice”, as he said.
“The Forces for Freedom and Change need to take their decisions with the participation of all blocs,” besides developing a negotiating “reference document” to serve as a guideline for making decisions in the negotiations with the military junta, he further said.
The particularity of the SRF as armed groups have prevented its leaders from coming to Khartoum and to engage with their comrades in meetings with the Transitional Military Council.
(ST)