Sudan’s military leadership and civilian groups on Monday signed a framework agreement paving the way for a two-year civilian-led transitional government to lead the country towards elections, bringing an end to the year-long military rule.
The framework was signed by military leader Gen. Abdel Fattah El Burhan, Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, and leaders of the civilian coalition Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC). The deal provides an outline for negotiations to establish a transitional government, elections, and the writing of a new constitution.
SRSG @volkerperthes remarks on the Framework Political Agreement "It is my hope that the principles in the document will be translated into action. The transitional authorities need to commit to respect & protect the rights & freedoms of all Sudanese"
— UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission Sudan (@UNITAMS) December 5, 2022
🔗 https://t.co/xK56rgovN0 pic.twitter.com/RLO8KkGafq
The agreement is a result of months of negotiations between civilian and military leaders brokered by an international negotiating team, including members from the African Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Nations, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Burhan called the agreement an “entry point to overcoming differences,” saying the military agreed to sign the framework as it is in the “interest of the homeland.” Calling the deal a “consensual agreement,” Burhan said “we are seeking to transform the army into a constitutional institution that is away from any bias towards a party, group, or ideology.”
Secretary-General @antonioguterres welcomes the signing of a framework agreement between civilian political forces & the military in Sudan. He hopes that this can pave the way for the return to a civilian-led transition in the country.
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) December 5, 2022
Full statement 👇https://t.co/mbX9yaSRsa
While he stressed that the civilian leadership is responsible for the “goals and issues” of the country, Burhan also warned civilian parties against interfering in the military’s work. However, Burhan said he hoped this framework would lead to “free and fair elections.”
United Nations special envoy for Sudan Volker Perthes, who attended the ceremony, said the deal is a “sustained effort” by Sudanese stakeholders over the past year to find a solution to the political crisis. He also commended the military for taking the initiative to support talks, particularly its decision to exit the political scene in July.
An inclusive and concerted effort to finalize negotiations and reach final agreement to form a new civilian government is vital to address Sudan’s urgent political, economic, security, and humanitarian challenges.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) December 5, 2022
Five months ago, Burhan had announced that the army would withdraw from politics to allow civilian leaders to pave the way for a new government, stressing that the “military will not be a vehicle for any political party to rule the country.”
In this respect, Perthes said the military’s decision has “created a new dynamic” that has started to materialise negotiations. Calling the process “truly Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led,” Perthes said he hoped that the agreement would lead to the “swift formation” of a civilian government.
#Sudan 🇸🇩: in the Republican Palace in #Khartoum political leaders might promise democratic reforms. But outside protesters are facing the same repression they've faced throughout the coup period. pic.twitter.com/Wd2IwN6Fqi
— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) December 5, 2022
While the FFC is yet to release a statement on the signing of the agreement, it said on Facebook on Friday that it agreed to a framework deal since it aligns with the goals of the 2019 revolution that ousted former dictator Omar Al-Bashir and establishes a “better future dominated by the values of freedom, peace, and justice.”
The FFC is a coalition of civilian groups established following the ouster of Bashir in 2019, which shared power with the military in a transitional government. The government was tasked with dismantling the Bashir-era political and financial framework and easing the path towards democratic transition.
However, in October 2021, Sudan’s military ousted the civilian-led transition government in Khartoum in a coup. Gen. Burhan dissolved the government and declared a state of emergency after arresting Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, saying the coup’s purpose was to ensure Sudan’s stability, which was jeopardised due to infighting between the military and civilian parties.
#Statement | Members of the Quad and Troika welcome the agreement of an initial political framework in #Sudan.
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) December 5, 2022
🇸🇦🇦🇪🇬🇧🇺🇸🇳🇴 pic.twitter.com/j3p0O9f4Sb
Over the past year, the country has experienced a severe economic crisis and ethnic violence in many regions that has killed hundreds. Owing in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, Sudan has been experiencing skyrocketing prices, with inflation reaching a yearly high of almost 150% in June.
Sudan is also dealing with a major hunger crisis, with the World Food Programme (WFP) estimating that almost one-third of the country (roughly 15 million people) is facing acute food insecurity. Furthermore, ethnic violence in the regions of Darfur, Blue Nile, and Kordofan since the start of the year has killed over 350 people and internally displaced more than 211,000.
Against this backdrop, a joint statement by members of the Quad and Troika for Sudan—Norway, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK, and the US—welcomed the framework as an “essential first step toward establishing a civilian-led government and defining constitutional arrangements to guide Sudan through a transitional period culminating in elections.”
Farmers in Sudan are unable to obtain finance & warn of dire consequences. According to the @WFP, 18 mil people, half the pop., will face crisis/emergency levels of hunger. Sudan is the 3rd most miserable country in the world according to my Misery Index.https://t.co/QkpkveY0nk
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) June 10, 2022
The statement urged all stakeholders to continue negotiations in “good faith” and “put Sudan’s national interest above narrow political ends.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed hope that the deal would lead to a civilian-led government, urging all parties to work “without delay” on the next phase of the process. He vowed that the UN would continue to support the Sudanese people to achieve a “lasting, inclusive political settlement.”
However, thousands of anti-military demonstrators protested in Khartoum, saying they would not accept a deal with the military. “We will defeat this agreement because it is an extension of the coup,” a protester told Reuters, adding, “We want justice for our martyrs, trial for the military, and civilian rule.”
According to estimates, the military killed over 100 civilians protesting against the coup since the civilian government was ousted in October last year.