September 5, 2019 (KHARTOUM) - Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok has announced the formation of a committee to prepare for the peace process and to lay the foundations for the set-up of the Peace Commission.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday evening to announce the formation of his cabinet, Hamdok recalled that peace is a top priority for Sudan’s transitional government.

Hamdok stressed that the armed groups are an integral part of the Sudanese revolution and that this partnership created a favourable circumstance to achieve peace in the country.

"We started preparing for the peace process and in consultation with the Sovereign Council, we formed a small committee including members of the Sovereign Council and the government on this respect. The mission of this Committee is to lay out a general framework for the structure of the Peace Commission".

"Peace is the top priority of the transitional period."

He noted that his government will work to achieve justice and transitional justice as part of its engagement with the peace process.

At the beginning of his press conference, the prime minister congratulated the armed groups under the banner of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front for the reunification of the Front and the success of its recent meeting in Juba.

He also expressed his delight at the statements of Abdulaziz Al-Helu, head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, describing them as positive and supportive for the revolution and preparing for peace.

Speaking after a meeting with President Kiir, al-Hilu announced they will negotiate a peace agreement with the Hamdok’s government.

"The new government is a de facto government that has found recognition from the Sudanese people and therefore we will negotiate with it," he said.

Speaking about the benchmarks that his government plans to establish the peace process, Hamdouk said that joining the negotiating table would be different this time for the government and the armed opposition groups because they would not sit as disputing parties but as partners in this revolution.

"The model of power-sharing and wealth (of the previous peace talks) has caused many distortions in Sudanese politics. I think it is very important to move to another box and seek to create a climate that makes the peace process a focus to address the root causes of the crisis including marginalization, unbalanced development, need for positive discrimination etc..."

He further pointed to the need to develop a Marshall Plan for the war-affected areas to address the destruction caused to the infrastructure, to provide basic services to the people including health, education and to create a suitable environment for production in these areas.

(ST)