Sudanese Military, Civil Forces Set To Sign Final Agreement On April 6 - Spokesperson

Sudanese Military, Civil Forces Set to Sign Final Agreement on April 6 - Spokesperson

Military and civil forces in Sudan intend to sign a final agreement providing for the establishment of a transitional civil authority in the country on April 6, Khalid Omer Yousif, the spokesperson for the signatories to the political settlement, said Saturday

CAIRO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st April, 2023) Military and civil forces in Sudan intend to sign a final agreement providing for the establishment of a transitional civil authority in the country on April 6, Khalid Omer Yousif, the spokesperson for the signatories to the political settlement, said Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Yousif said that the parties to the political process in Sudan had postponed the signing of the final agreement, initially scheduled for Saturday, over a lack of consensus. After the planned signing, the country's new constitution was to be adopted on April 6 and a new government was to be formed.

The official wrote on Twitter that the head of Sudan's Sovereignty Council Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and the leaders of Sudan's civil forces held a meeting earlier on Saturday.

"After extensive deliberation, the military and civil sides unanimously decided to redouble efforts to overcome the remaining obstacles within a few days in preparation for the signing of the final political agreement on April 6," Yousif tweeted.

On Friday, a source told Sputnik that the signing of the agreement was contingent on negotiating the timeframe for integrating the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) into the Sudanese armed forces, an issue which remains unresolved.

According to Sudanese media, the postponement resulted from a disagreement between the Sudanese army, led by Burhan, and the RSF, headed by Dagalo.

Burkhan and Dagalo, who reported directly to the head of state before the ouster of then-President Omar al-Bashir, are said to be at odds over the RSF integration into the military. This is the most contentious point in the framework agreement in question.

The framework agreement aiming to create a transitional civil authority in Sudan was signed in December 2022 in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, at a meeting attended by Burhan and opposition leaders, as well as international mediators. The agreement provides for the appointment of a prime minister and a subsequent transitional period of two years, followed by a general election. After signing the deal with the opposition, the head of Sudan's Sovereignty Council said that the country's military would not participate in the political life of the country.

In October of 2021, the Sudanese military, led by Burhan, overthrew the government in a military coup, declaring a state of emergency and establishing a transitional sovereign council under his leadership. Subsequent protests forced Burhan to sign a pact stipulating the reinstatement of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, releasing all political prisoners, holding elections in July 2023 and handing power to an elected civilian government. The political crisis persisted, however, and Hamdok stepped down on January 2, 2022.