S. Sudan bishops praise Sudan’s power-sharing agreement
September 1, 2019 (JUBA) – Catholic bishops in South Sudan have praised the power-sharing deal reached in neighbouring Sudan, nearly four months after the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir was ousted from power.
“Our hearts went out for Sudan during the period under which the country was facing the turmoil. Actually we are still Sudanese; we share the common border; our history is intertwined; our behaviour is the same; ours is a scenario of two countries with one system,” partly read an August 23 statement issued by the bishops.
“We still have thousands of refugees from South Sudan living in Sudan. The conflict in Sudan really hit us at home,” it added.
The religious leaders, in the statement, urged the military and civilian leaders to work together and prepare people for the next election.
Under the agreement, signed in the capital Khartoum, a joint civilian-military ruling body will oversee the formation of a civilian government and parliament to govern for a three-year transition period.
The declaration was the result of fraught negotiations between the leaders of mass protests, which erupted in December against the three-decade rule of al-Bashir and the generals who ousted him in April.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Sudan’s new transitional government to take concrete steps to ensure accountability for past rights abuses, including the attacks on protesters.
“As Sudan’s leaders embark on long-overdue critical reforms, they should ensure justice to fulfill the promise for a transition to a state based on human rights and rule of law,” HRW said in a statement.
“To ensure progress, they should set goals and benchmarks, including for accountability for serious abuses, just as the protesters demanded,” it added.
Since 1993, Sudan has been on the United States list over its alleged support of Islamist militants.
(ST)