Africa

Sudanese Faction Condemns Attempts to Form New Government

FILE - Sudanese demonstrators raise national flags as they take part in a protest in the city of Khartoum Bahri, the northern twin city of the capital, to demand the government's transition to civilian rule, Oct. 21, 2021.

KHARTOUM, SUDAN — An influential Sudanese political faction on Monday condemned a vow by the country’s military and pro-democracy forces to begin forming a new transitional government next month.

On Sunday, the military and and pro-democracy forces stated they would finalize December’s political settlement and begin establishing a new civilian-led transitional government on April 11.

The faction opposing the announcement, known as the Democratic Block, includes Sudan’s finance minister, Jibreel Ibrahim, and the governor of Darfur, Minni Minnawi, among numerous other smaller political figures and parties.

"I think any group forming an authority without an agreement with the other political powers will lead the country into darkness," said Ali Askoury, chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Social Justice, a group that is part of the Democratic Block.

"We at the Democratic Block did not sign the framework agreement, we are not accepting it, we reject it. And we do not accept the lawyers draft, we have our point of view on the dates that we weren’t consulted on. It is not accepted by us."

Askoury also said "it is a big mistake" for Sudan's military and pro-democracy forces to "even think that they can run the country by force."

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Sudanese Faction Condemns Attempts to Form New Government

Sudan has been plunged into chaos after a military coup, led by the country’s top Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan. He removed a Western-backed government in October 2021, thus upending the country’s short-lived transition to democracy.

Under immense international pressure, the military signed a preliminary agreement with various pro-democracy forces last December and pledged to restore a civilian-led democratic transition.

An 11-person committee comprised of nine pro-democracy leaders, one from the army and another from the country’s large paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, has been tasked with tying up the final agreement, Khalid Omar, spokesperson for the signatories of the settlement, said Sunday.

Since December, progress and consensus-building have been slow. Major political players, from former rebel leaders to grassroots pro-democracy networks, remain opposed to the deal despite numerous internationally brokered efforts to draw them in.