SRF groups boycott celebration of agreement on Sudan’s transitional authority
August 17, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) which is part of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) said they would not take part in the signing ceremony of the agreement on the transitional authority with the military council.
The boycott of the rebel umbrella aims to protest against the removal of some clauses they negotiated last month with their allied political groups, members of the FFC.
The opposition groups refused to integrate a disposition providing the primacy of peace agreements over the constitutional declaration. Also, they refused to allocate them cabinet seats in the transitional government.
“What will be signed on August 17 is an incomplete step as it did not respond to the requirements of the peace process despite the efforts made in Addis Ababa,” said a statement signed by the SRF two spokespersons Mohamed Zakaria and Osama Said.
“The Revolutionary Front will not participate in the signing ceremony of the document, and believes that the vision of peace agreed in Addis Ababa and the understandings of the recent Cairo meeting should be included in the Constitutional Declaration and Political Agreement as a due entitlement to reach a just and comprehensive peace before the Front be a party to these documents”.
In a press conference held on Thursday, the FFC said they invited their colleagues of the SRF to take part in the signing ceremony, saying nothing prevent them from arriving in Khartoum as the military council cancelled the death sentences against SPLM-N leader Malik Agar and his deputy Yasir Arman.
In an internal note to the SPLM-N members on Thursday seen by Sudan Tribune, Arman spoke about the participation of the Movement secretary-general in the celebration pointing that a leader of a neighbouring country invited them to travel with him to Khartoum.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Chadian President Idriss Deby, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed are expected to attend the ceremony tomorrow in Khartoum.
Also, will attend the event Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Hamad Al Sabah-First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, Adel Al-Jubeir Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa and the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Dr Yousef Al-Othaimeen.
(ST)