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Sudan's Govt, Rebels to Sign Final Peace Deal on Oct. 2

Sudan's Sovereign Council Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, and Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (File Photo: Reuters)
Sudan's Sovereign Council Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, and Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (File Photo: Reuters)
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Sudan's Govt, Rebels to Sign Final Peace Deal on Oct. 2

Sudan's Sovereign Council Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, and Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (File Photo: Reuters)
Sudan's Sovereign Council Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, and Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok (File Photo: Reuters)

The Sudanese government and armed groups have agreed to sign a final peace deal on October 2 in Juba. The event will be attended by Arab, regional and international officials, announced South Sudan mediation committee.

Sudanese government and leaders from the coalition of rebel groups initialed a historic peace agreement on August 31 to end nearly decades of conflict. The agreement was a success for the South Sudan government in mediating and convincing the Sudanese factions to end the war and solve the issues peacefully.

The head of the mediation team and South Sudan's presidential adviser on security affairs, Tut Gatluak, is expected to arrive within days in Khartoum accompanied by a delegation of the leaders of the armed movements that signed the agreement. They will discuss the details of the agreement and pave the way for the leaders to return to their country after decades of civil wars.

However, two main movements did not sign a peace agreement, Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur.

Last week, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok made a remarkable breakthrough by holding lengthy meetings with Hilu in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. They signed a declaration of principles agreeing to hold new peace talks hosted by South Sudan.

Negotiations between the transitional government and the SPLM-N al-Hilu were suspended over the latter's demand to discuss the secular state and self-determination within the peace process.

Hilu then demanded that a civilian negotiating delegation, and refused to negotiate with the delegation headed by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti.

The Sudan Liberation Army is still refusing to negotiate and the South Sudan mediation appealed to it to adhere to the peace agreement.

The movement’s spokesman, Mohammed al-Nayer, issued a statement saying that the government of Sudan must create the atmosphere and prove its seriousness in reaching a real, just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace.

The statement also called for the immediate implementation of international decisions issued against the former regime, handing over wanted persons to the International Criminal Court (ICC), releasing all prisoners and detainees, and disarming government militias.

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Arab World

After US Exemption, UN Says More Significant Syria Sanctions Work Needed

A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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After US Exemption, UN Says More Significant Syria Sanctions Work Needed

A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
A general view shows Damascus from Mount Qasioun, after one month since the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

A US sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria is welcome, but "much more significant work ... will inevitably be necessary," the UN special envoy on Syria, Geir Pedersen, told the Security Council on Wednesday.

After 13 years of civil war, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a lightening offensive by opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group a month ago.

The US, Britain, the European Union and others imposed tough sanctions on Syria after a crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that spiraled into war. But the new reality in Syria has been further complicated by sanctions on HTS - and some leaders - for its days as an al-Qaeda affiliate.

"I welcome the recent issuance of a new temporary General License by the United States government. But much more significant work in fully addressing sanctions and designations will inevitably be necessary," Pedersen told the council.

The US on Monday issued a sanctions exemption, known as a general license, for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance and allow some energy transactions.

"The United States welcomes positive messages from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but will ultimately look for progress in actions, not words," deputy US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Camille Shea told the Security Council.

The foreign ministry in Damascus on Wednesday welcomed the US move and called for a full lifting of restrictions to support Syria's recovery.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said earlier on Wednesday that European Union sanctions on Syria that obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and hinder the country's recovery could be lifted swiftly.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia criticized the sanctions imposed on Syria by Washington and others, adding: "As a result, the Syrian economy is under extreme pressure and is not able to cope with the challenges facing the country." Russia was an Assad ally throughout the war.

'END THE SUFFERING'

Formerly known as Nusra Front, HTS was al-Qaeda's official wing in Syria until breaking ties in 2016. Along with unilateral measures, the group has also been on the UN Security Council al-Qaeda and ISIS sanctions list for more than a decade, subjected to a global assets freeze and arms embargo.

There are no UN sanctions on Syria over the civil war.

Syria's UN Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak was appointed a year ago by Assad's government but told the council on Wednesday that he was speaking for the caretaker authorities.

"It is high time to end the suffering, to enable Syrians to live in security and prosperity, to live a dignified life in their country, to build a better future for their country," Aldahhak said.

"For this reason, we call upon the United Nations and its member states to immediately and fully lift the unilateral coercive measures to provide the necessary financing to meet humanitarian needs and recover basic services," he said.

Pedersen said he is seeking to work with the caretaker authorities in Syria "on how the nascent and important ideas and steps so far articulated and initiated could be developed towards a credible and inclusive political transition."

Pedersen said attacks on Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop, specifically calling out Israel.

As Assad's government crumbled towards the end of last year, Israel launched a series of strikes against Syrian military infrastructure and weapons manufacturing sites to prevent them falling into the hands of enemies.

"Reports of the IDF using live ammunition against civilians, displacement and destruction of civilian infrastructure are also very worrying," Pedersen said. "Such violations, along with Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Syria – reported even last week in Aleppo – could further jeopardize the prospects for an orderly political transition."