Sudanese Opposition Leader: No Rapprochement with Army's Allies

Protests in Khartoum demanding the return of civilian rule (AP)
Protests in Khartoum demanding the return of civilian rule (AP)
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Sudanese Opposition Leader: No Rapprochement with Army's Allies

Protests in Khartoum demanding the return of civilian rule (AP)
Protests in Khartoum demanding the return of civilian rule (AP)

A leader in the opposition Forces of Freedom and Change coalition in Sudan ruled out any rapprochement with the factions that supported the army's assumption of power last October and overthrew the civilian-led government.

Member of the Central Council of the Forces Sherif Muhammad Othman said that this group disavowed the outcomes of the workshop organized by the Lawyers Association on the conceptual framework of the constitutional declaration.

The Leader of the Umma Party, Maryam al-Mahdi, revealed in recent press statements that the civil forces could soon form a transitional government to end the political stalemate in the country.

Al-Mahdi stated that the forces that will participate in the transitional government include the Forces of Freedom and Change, the Central Council, and the National Accord, which includes armed movements, Popular Resistance Committees, and civil society.

Othman told Asharq Al-Awsat that a consensus could have been reached between the opposition and the forces allied to the army in the National Accord to establish a political agreement.

However, some factions disavowed the outcomes of the workshop in which they participated.

He said that Freedom and Change seek to unite the revolutionary forces within a large bloc that includes resistance committees and civil parties to isolate the military government while maintaining contacts with other forces to agree on the formation of the civilian-led government.

Othman believes the military holding power in the country will not form an executive government after they could not find popular and political support.

"They cannot take this step because these groups supported the coup, including the national consensus forces. They will not form a good political and popular base for governance," said the official, adding that the military component does not want a genuine democratic transition.

The opposition leader stated that the military does not show any willingness to the process of civil democratic transformation.

The Freedom and Change coalition formed a committee to draft the new constitutional declaration, which will be completed soon.

The new constitutional declaration is based on removing the army from political work and the transitional authority, while the National Accord aims to make amendments to the constitutional document to maintain the military as a ruling partner.

Freedom and Change include the National Accord, the Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudan Liberation Army movement, the governor of the Darfur region, and other factions that signed the Juba Peace Agreement.

The factions supported the military measures that overthrew the civilian rule under which the army seized power on October 25.

On July 04, the head of the Transitional Sovereign Council, Lt-Gen Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, announced the withdrawal of the armed forces from the political process led by the UN tripartite mechanism to allow the civil forces to form an independent government.



Sudan Launches Talks for a Comprehensive Political Process

A child stands between two women at a school turned into a shelter, in Port Sudan, Sudan, August 29, 2024. (Reuters)
A child stands between two women at a school turned into a shelter, in Port Sudan, Sudan, August 29, 2024. (Reuters)
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Sudan Launches Talks for a Comprehensive Political Process

A child stands between two women at a school turned into a shelter, in Port Sudan, Sudan, August 29, 2024. (Reuters)
A child stands between two women at a school turned into a shelter, in Port Sudan, Sudan, August 29, 2024. (Reuters)

Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Youssef Mohamed said on Thursday that consultations have begun to launch an inclusive political process aimed at forming a technocratic government to lead the country through the transitional period, with a focus on reconstruction.

Youssef met with the European Union's envoy to the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, in the interim administrative capital, Port Sudan, to discuss the EU institutions’ readiness to cooperate with Sudan in efforts to achieve stability and development.

He welcomed the EU’s statement rejecting the formation of a parallel government in Sudan. He also provided an update on the military situation and the government's efforts to end the war.

Weber reaffirmed the bloc’s full support for an inclusive political process in Sudan without exclusion or discrimination. She stressed the EU’s commitment to security and stability in Sudan, describing it as a key country in the Horn of Africa.

The African Union on Wednesday voiced "deep concern" over efforts by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allies to form a parallel government in Sudan, warning that the move could lead to the country’s "massive fragmentation" after nearly two years of war.

Last month, the RSF and its allies signed a founding charter in Nairobi, declaring their intention to establish a "peace and unity government" in areas under their control.

They also pledged to build a decentralized, democratic civilian state based on freedom, equality, and justice, without cultural, ethnic, religious, or regional discrimination. Earlier this month, the same parties signed a transitional constitution.

The African Union urged its member states and the international community not to recognize any parallel government or entity seeking to divide Sudan or govern parts of its territory.

The European Union echoed this stance on Tuesday, warning that a rival government would threaten Sudan’s democratic aspirations, in line with a statement issued by the United Nations Security Council last week.