August 17, 2020 (JUBA) - The Sudanese government and the SPLM-N of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SPLM-N SRF) Monday initialled an agreement on security arrangements, ahead of initialling a comprehensive peace agreement between the government and the SRF in Juba on 28 August.

The initial signing ceremony took place in Juba, in the presence of a delegation from the Sudanese Sovereign Council and the Sudanese Minister of Defence, who led the government negotiating delegation, Yasir Arman the Movement Deputy Chairman and head of its negotiating delegation, in addition to the South Sudanese mediation, a Chadian delegation and another from the United Arab Emirates.

The agreement, seen by Sudan Tribune, dealt with the integrating the SPLM-N SFR led by Malik Agar into the Sudanese army and in three phases to be achieved within 39 months.

The first stage will deal with the integration process of the SPLM-N combatants which should be effective in 12 months starting from signing the agreement process.

During the second phase, the SPLA-N fighters will remain in the area under the command of the Sudanese army for 14 months before to redeploy its units in other parts of the country for 13 months.

At the end of the 39-moth period, the SPLA-N will units will be totally dismantled.

The agreement further says that the agreement will be enforced, monitored and control the implementation of the security arrangements: the Security and Defence Council, the Sovereign Council and cabinet and the Security and Defence Committee at the transitional parliament.

The defence and security council will set general plans for reforming, modernizing and developing the Sudanese army, the Sovereign Council and the cabinet will watch the implementation process and provide the needed fund and means while the parliament will control it.

The Sudanese Minister of Defence and the head of the negotiating team said that the integration of the SPLA-N fighters "will make the army more coherent, strong and ready to deal with any threats to the security of the homeland".

Yassin Ibrahim further stressed that the security arrangements agreement should motivate and encourages other non-signatory groups to join the peace process for the sake of developing and building Sudan.

For his part, the Movement’s deputy chairman and head of its negotiating delegation said that the security arrangements agreement came in line with the spirit of the revolution and its objectives in reforming, the military and security sectors, without which Sudanese will not build a civil state.

"Sudan will not join the club of countries that have collapsed, such as Libya, Yemen and Somalia (..) We are here to benefit from these experiences and lead our country towards new dawn (...)," Yasir Arman further said.

The mediation is expected to use this agreement as a model for security arrangements agreements to be signed with the other armed groups.

Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, the head of the other SPLM-N group issued a statement Monday, saying that what is taking place in Juba is "an attempt to achieve a partial peace that does not address the root causes of the Sudanese crisis, and will not lead to a real peace that restores security, peace and stability."

He further stressed that his movement sticks to its demand to build a secular, democratic, decentralized system that preserves the rights of all its population.

Hemetti met Monday with the leaders of the SRF leaders in the presence of the South Sudanese Chief Mediator Tut Galtuak.

Dhieu Matouk the mediation’s rapporteur announced that the mediation has set a timetable for completing the talks on the security arrangements in Darfur and reviewing some papers regarding political and national issues in the tracks of Darfur and the Two Areas.

He added that Galtuak had announced on Monday morning that the initial signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement will take place on the 28th of August.

(ST)