UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his hope that the ‘framework agreement’ signed on Monday between the Sudanese Army and various opposition groups will «pave the way for a return to a civilian-led transition» following the deepening crisis over the October 2021 coup d’état.
Guterres has called on «all Sudanese actors» to «work without delay in the next phase of the transition process to address outstanding issues with a view to achieving a lasting and inclusive political settlement,» his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said.
«The UN, through the trilateral mechanism comprising the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), remains committed to supporting the process,» he said, before reaffirming that the international body «will continue to support the aspirations of the Sudanese people for democracy, peace and sustainable development.»
The agreement was signed on Monday by the military authorities and the civilian coalition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), as well as other political and civilian formations and groups, with the aim of relaunching the transition process, hard hit after the coup led in 2021 by the head of the army and president of the Sovereign Transitional Council, Abdelfatá al Burhan.
The main clauses of this ‘framework agreement’ are the implementation of the agreement signed in Juba in 2020 with various rebel groups and a balanced foreign policy stance, as well as complying with international standards on Human Rights and emphasizing a professional and unified army to protect the borders and the rule of law.
The agreement aims to hold elections within two years to consolidate the democratization process opened after the April 2019 uprising against the then president, Omar Hassan al Bashir, which resulted in transitional authorities led by Abdullah Hamdok and toppled in the aforementioned Al Burhan coup in 2021.
Although Hamdok, arrested after the uprising, returned to office in November 2021 after an agreement signed with Al Burhan amid international pressure, he finally stepped down after denouncing the bloody repression of the demonstrations against the coup in the African country, which has resulted in more than a hundred deaths at the hands of the security forces.
Al Burhan announced in July that he was stepping aside to allow civilian parties and organizations to agree on a new government. He assured that the army would not participate in the negotiations and urged the political forces to promote a «serious dialogue immediately» to «restore the unity of the Sudanese people», a decision applauded by the international community.
