Panafrican News Agency

'Friends of Sudan; calls for rewriting of basic documents to overcome crisis

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The group of Western, EU and Arab states meeting in Saudi Arabia to try help the Sudan overcome its crisis has said the government and opposition have to amend two major documents the initiated in 2019.

“We encourage Sudanese stakeholders to consider carefully whether to amend the Constitutional Declaration and the Juba Peace Agreement, the current basis for the transition, as a way forward. Ideally this political process will be time-bound and culminate in the formation of a civilian-led government which will prepare for democratic elections,” the joint statement published on the US embassy’s Face-book account said.

The opposition, which includes leftist-leaning political parties and groupings, as well as those in opposition to ousted Omar Bashir’s government from the central right and Islamic groupings, have been insisting that this document which was terminated by the October 25 coup by the military, should be restored as precondition for returning to any meaningful talks with Lieutenant General Abdul Fatah Al Burhan and his supporters.

But the Friends of Sudan condemned in the statement, in strong terms, the violence exercised by government forces against peaceful protesters in Khartoum and other areas in the Sudan.

The Khartoum government had been stressing that those demonstrations were, in fact, the work of political grouping with vested political interests and not the work unhappy youth only. Khartoum also denied using excessive force to disperse the demonstrations.

The Friends of Sudan also pointed out that all stakeholders have to make concessions in order to revive trust and be able to fully engage in the facilitation process launched by the United Nations in Khartoum.

The group met in Riyadh and emphasised that recent events in Sudan reinforce the need to redouble efforts to support the Sudanese people in their aspirations for civilian rule, stability, prosperity, and democracy.

The group Sudan comprises France, Germany, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Norway, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, and the European Union, as core members.

It said the violence that has occurred over the past week illustrates the imperative to ensure robust international support for the recently launched Sudanese-led political process facilitated by the UN Integrated Transition Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) under its good offices mandate.

“The Friends of Sudan pledged their full support to this process. We expect it will identify a way forward to resolve Sudan’s political impasse and end the violence.” 

The group expressed solidarity with the Sudanese stakeholders as they engage in this process and urged all to engage “in good faith” and reestablish public trust in the inevitable transition to democracy.

It said that this was the best way to achieve peace and stability, ensure justice and respect for human rights, and economic recovery.

It underlined that as Sudanese women and youth continue to play a central role in the transition, their meaningful and direct participation in the political process will be essential to its success.

The statement underlined that the Friends of Sudan condemn all violence such as that which occurred (Monday) and called for independent investigations so that those responsible are held accountable.

“The Friends of Sudan call for the protection of peaceful protests moving forward, the lifting of the state of emergency, as well as an end to attacks on medical facilities, the forced closure of media outlets and arbitrary arrests and detentions." 

The statement said the group also recognises the economic difficulties facing the Sudanese people and pledged to continue humanitarian and other direct support to the people of Sudan during this challenging period.

It said that creating steps to advance a civilian-led transition to democracy will create conditions conducive for the international community to restore or expand economic assistance.

The group added that it fully acknowledges the important and necessary engagement that regional bodies, including the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the League of Arab States, bring to advancing Sudan’s democratic transition and the role that they can play in supporting UNITAMS in its mission to ensure that the Sudanese-led political process is a success.

-0- PANA MO/MA 19Jan22