Sudan’s SPA says peace process should not hamper democratic transition
January 18, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Professional Association (SPA) Sunday renewed calls for the formation of the transitional parliament and the replacement military governors saying peace should not be an obstacle to meet people’s demands
The two steps have been delayed to allow armed groups to conclude peace agreements with the transitional government.
However, the slow progress in the negotiations in Juba pushes the group that spearheaded the popular protests against the al-Bashir’s regime to call to enhance the democratic transition.
“We call on the Transitional Authority, and the partners of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) to take urgent steps to fill the void in the structures of the transitional institutions in a manner consistent with the previous understandings,” said the statement.
The professionals pointed to the recent developments in the security situation, the living crisis, the slowdown of the measures to dismantle the former regime saying these issues require to complete the institutions of the transitional authority “without further delay”.
As for the position of the armed groups hostile to the two measures, they are open to any remedies required by the outcome of the peace negotiations.
“We hope that our partners in the armed struggle will understand that peace cannot become an obstacle to meeting the urgent and necessary needs of the people,” further said the statement.
” The success of the transitional period is a joint responsibility and will not be achieved without the solidarity of all”.
On Friday, the SLM leader Minni Minnawi once again voiced his opposition to the appointed of state governors accusing the FFC groups of backpedalling from their pledge to wait until the signing of a peace agreement.
“The government delegation reversed its position on all the items that were agreed upon in the last period, (…) they “unashamedly said we have backpedalled on what we had agreed” before to conclude “Unfortunately, our history repeats shamelessly”.
His statements were dismissed by the government and the other armed groups in a joint press conference held in Juba on the same day.
(ST)