Sudan Intensifies Talks to Add More Signatories to Final Agreement

Protesters rally in Khartoum to demand civilian rule on March 14. (AFP)
Protesters rally in Khartoum to demand civilian rule on March 14. (AFP)
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Sudan Intensifies Talks to Add More Signatories to Final Agreement

Protesters rally in Khartoum to demand civilian rule on March 14. (AFP)
Protesters rally in Khartoum to demand civilian rule on March 14. (AFP)

The Sudanese military and civilian parties that signed the framework political agreement are scheduled to finish developing a full-fledged draft of the final political agreement on Wednesday after including the outcomes of the security and military reform workshop into the deal.

Army commanders, members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), retired officers, experts in the security and military fields, and representatives of the civil forces took part in the Khartoum workshop for the third consecutive day.

The army and the Rapid Support Forces each presented during a paper on security and military reform.

All the workshop sessions are closed to the media because of the sensitivity of the security and military issues being discussed.

The political parties stated on their official Facebook page that the participants presented theoretical and practical proposals to reform the police and public intelligence services in line with the prospective democratic system.

The participants, including over 300 civilians and military personnel, are set to discuss the integration of the RSF, headed by the deputy head of the Sovereign Council, Mohammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, into the unified army as agreed upon by all parties.

The workshop, sponsored by the Tripartite Mechanism and the Freedom and Change coalition, will conclude on Wednesday evening and then submit its recommendations to the final agreement drafting committee.

Meanwhile, the signatories of the political framework agreement continued their discussions with the opposing parties affiliated with the Democratic Bloc coalition to persuade them to join the political process and sign the final deal to establish a civil democratic transition.

Some armed movements, such as the Justice and Equality movement led by Gibril Ibrahim, the Sudan Liberation Army led by Minni Arko Minnawi, and a branch of the Democratic Unionist Party, led by Gaafar al-Mirghani, refuse to engage in the political process without the participation of the rest of the members of their bloc.

The final agreement is based on the Framework Agreement, the Political Declaration, and the recommendations of the five conferences. The recommendations are dismantling the regime of ousted president Omar al-Bashir, the “correction” of the Juba Peace Agreement, reaching a solution to the crisis in the eastern region, and achieving transitional justice, as well as the security and military reform workshop.

The agreement drafting committee delivered on Monday the initial draft of the final political agreement to the military and civilian parties in the presence of the Tripartite Mechanism.

The Tripartite Mechanism facilitates dialogue between Sudanese parties and consists of the African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the UN.

Officials agreed on the final dates for the political process, starting with the signing of the final agreement on Apr. 1, the signing of the constitution on Apr. 6, and the formation of the institutions of the transitional authority on Apr. 11.



Suspected US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill at Least 4 People Near Hodeidah

A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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Suspected US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill at Least 4 People Near Hodeidah

A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Suspected US airstrikes battered Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into Wednesday, with the militias saying that one strike killed at least four people near the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under US President Donald Trump, targeting the militias over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters stemming from the Israel-Hamas war, has killed at least 65 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis.

The campaign appears to show no signs of stopping as the Trump administration again linked their airstrikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. While so far giving no specifics about the campaign and its targets, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt put the overall number of strikes on Tuesday at more than 200.

“Iran is incredibly weakened as a result of these attacks, and we have seen they have taken out Houthi leaders,” Leavitt said. “They’ve taken out critical members who were launching strikes on naval ships and on commercial vessels and this operation will not stop until the freedom of navigation in this region is restored.”

Overnight, a likely US airstrike targeted what the Houthis described as a “water project” in Hodeidah governorate's Mansuriyah District, killing four people and wounding others. Other strikes into Wednesday targeted Hajjah, Saada and Sanaa governorates, the militias said.