Hemedti Warns Withdrawal from Framework Agreement Would Lead to Chaos in Sudan

Deputy head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
Deputy head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
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Hemedti Warns Withdrawal from Framework Agreement Would Lead to Chaos in Sudan

Deputy head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)
Deputy head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (AFP)

The deputy head of the Sudanese Transitional Sovereign Council, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, has warned against withdrawing from the framework agreement, saying it would lead to chaos in the country.

Dagalo reiterated his support for the agreement as the country's only way out of its crisis, noting that the Oct. 25 military coup failed to achieve its goals with the announcement.

Dagalo, known as Hemedti, spoke at a public event in North Khartoum. He denied claims attributing the agreement to him, saying other parties drafted and prepared it.

He recalled being in Darfur during the discussions to formulate the agreement.

Dagalo revealed that he signed another document with Abdulfattah al-Burhan, which he did not specify. It could likely be the draft transitional constitution prepared by the Bar Association.

He referred to the statements of Burhan and a member of the Sovereign Council, Shamseddine Kabbashi, which belittled the framework agreement and its parties, calling on them to keep their promises.

Hemedti revealed "a disparity" between him and the rest of the members of the Sovereign Council on the framework agreement, ridiculing the possibility of the coup maintaining power.

"We have not been able to form a government for more than 13 months," said Hemedti, calling on all parties to complete the framework agreement if they do not want to create instability in Sudan.

Hemedti called for proceeding with the agreement, which received international, regional, and Gulf support, warning that the government cannot pay wages and has no resources.

He referred to the pledges of international donors to support the transition by assisting the civil government established under the agreement, reaffirming the participation of all military parties in it.

Hemedti asserted they would proceed with the agreement, calling all parties to form a cabinet.

Earlier, Burhan stated that the army would not move forward with the agreement with one party, explaining that a particular party should only promote it with the others.

Later, Kabbashi reiterated Burhan's statement, saying the forces that signed the agreement were insufficient.

Observers considered the statements a withdrawal from the framework agreement signed between civilians, the armed forces, and the Rapid Support Forces on Dec. 5.



Iraq Holds Kurdish Government Legally Responsible for Continued Oil Smuggling

Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
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Iraq Holds Kurdish Government Legally Responsible for Continued Oil Smuggling

Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo
Kurdish protesters block the road in front of trucks carrying oil in the Arbat area near Sulaymaniyah, Iraq February 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ako Rasheed/File Photo

Iraq's oil ministry said on Thursday it holds the Kurdish regional government (KRG) legally responsible for the continued smuggling of oil from the Kurdish region outside the country.

The ministry reserves the right to take all legal measures in the matter, it added.

Control over oil and gas has long been a source of tension between Baghdad and Erbil, Reuters reported.

Iraq is under pressure from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut output to compensate for having produced more than its agreed volume. OPEC counts oil flows from Kurdistan as part of Iraq's quota.

In a ruling issued in 2022, Iraq's federal court deemed an oil and gas law regulating the oil industry in Iraqi Kurdistan unconstitutional and demanded that Kurdish authorities hand over their crude oil supplies.

The ministry said the KRG’s failure to comply with the law has hurt both oil exports and public revenue, forcing Baghdad to cut output from other fields to meet OPEC quotas.

The ministry added that it had urged the KRG to hand over crude produced from its fields, warning that failure to do so could result in significant financial losses and harm the country’s international reputation and oil commitments.

Negotiations to resume Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline, which once handled about 0.5% of global oil supply, have stalled over payment terms and contract details.