Sudan's Opposition, Military Divided Over Political Agreement Project

Sudanese protests demanding justice for those killed during the demonstrations in Khartoum Bahri in 2021 (AFP)
Sudanese protests demanding justice for those killed during the demonstrations in Khartoum Bahri in 2021 (AFP)
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Sudan's Opposition, Military Divided Over Political Agreement Project

Sudanese protests demanding justice for those killed during the demonstrations in Khartoum Bahri in 2021 (AFP)
Sudanese protests demanding justice for those killed during the demonstrations in Khartoum Bahri in 2021 (AFP)

The Forces for Freedom and Change opposition coalition announced it had reached an agreement with the military for a "new constitutional declaration" that ends the military rule in Sudan.

The agreement will form a civilian-led government that would end the military's control of the government. The remaining issues, such as the judiciary and the cases of the revolution's martyrs, will be further discussed within the committees.

The agreement announcement coincided with the march commemorating the incident in Khartoum Bahri last year. Protesters were divided between those demanding to hold perpetrators accountable and reach a political process based on the democratic track.

Protesters, the resistance committees, and the Communist Party rejected the agreement, equating between its advocates and the military.

The Communist Party denounced the agreement saying the parties upended the revolution's charters, sought to liquidate it, and joined the security committee in its methods of repression and violent response to peaceful protests.

Press reports quoted Kamal Karrar as saying that the Communist Party would work to bring down the government if it was formed.

Also, the Arab Socialist Baath Party was not keen on accepting the deal, and the spokesman, Adel Khalfallah, described the deal as a "framework" that still needs agreement.

Khalfallah indicated that the party's final position would be determined according to the outcome, noting that they handed their notes on the military's observations and the accompanying political declaration.

Meanwhile, supporters of ousted President Omar al-Bashir denounced the agreement, considering it an implementation of a foreign agenda, and vowed to bring it down.

The spokesman of the People of the Sudan Call for National Accord, Hisham al-Shawani, announced that the initiative prepared a national alternative to the Bar Association draft constitution, which constituted a base for the settlement.

Furthermore, political parties of the Juba Peace Agreement were also divided over the new agreement, while the member of the Sovereign Council and the head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, Malik Agar, remained silent.

However, the draft agreement received unlimited support from the international and regional community. It was sponsored by the Quartet consisting of the US, Saudi Arabia, Britain, and the UAE, along with the tripartite mechanism United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Europe Union.

The African Union announced it held a meaningful discussion with the European Union ambassadors and the opposition coalition Freedom and Change – the Central Council, during which they declared their support for the political process, saying it is a resumption of the complete democratic transition.



Türkiye's Erdogan Discusses Syria Situation with Putin by Phone, Ankara Says

 Syrian opposition fighters ride on motorcycles through abandoned Syrian army vehicles on a road in the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024.(AP)
Syrian opposition fighters ride on motorcycles through abandoned Syrian army vehicles on a road in the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024.(AP)
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Türkiye's Erdogan Discusses Syria Situation with Putin by Phone, Ankara Says

 Syrian opposition fighters ride on motorcycles through abandoned Syrian army vehicles on a road in the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024.(AP)
Syrian opposition fighters ride on motorcycles through abandoned Syrian army vehicles on a road in the outskirts of Hama, Syria, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024.(AP)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the renewed outbreak of conflict in Syria with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone, Erdogan's office said in a post on X on Tuesday.

Erdogan and Putin spoke as Syrian opposition forces advancing against government troops pushed close on Tuesday to the major city of Hama, fighters and a war monitor said, after their sudden capture of Aleppo last week rocked President Bashar al-Assad.

Erdogan told Putin that Türkiye supports Syria's territorial integrity and strives for a just and lasting solution in Syria, the statement said.

"President Erdogan highlighted the importance of making more room for diplomacy in the region, and underscored that the Syrian regime should engage in the political solution process," it said. Erdogan also said that Syria should not become a source of greater instability.

"Erdogan stated that Türkiye will continue to maintain its determined stance on the fight against the terrorist organization PKK and its extensions who are trying to take advantage of the recent developments in Syria," the statement said.