Al-Yurae- In conjunction with the arrival of 6 envoys from Western countries on Tuesday evening to Khartoum to discuss with the political forces signatories to the framework agreement the challenges facing the political process, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also arrived in Khartoum Wednesday evening for talks with officials of the Sovereign Council and the Foreign Ministry.
The Western envoys have expressed to all Sudanese parties their readiness to help reach a final solution to the crisis in the country.
The delegation includes the EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Africa, Sudan and South Sudan Peter Lord, the British Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Robert Fairweather, the French Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Frédéric Clave, the Head of the Horn of Africa Division at the German Foreign Ministry Torsten Hutter, and the Norwegian Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan John Anton Johnson
After meeting with the political forces that signed the framework agreement, Acting US Assistant Secretary of State Peter Lord said in press statements, “We are here to reaffirm our support for the framework political agreement,” noting that the agreement is the best basis for the formation of the next civilian government in Sudan, and the best basis for establishing constitutional arrangements that will lead to a transitional period ending with free elections.
“We hope that the signatories will speed up the formation of a civilian government that has the ability to get Sudan out of the current economic and political crisis.”
For his part, the official spokesman for the final phase of the political process in Sudan, Khaled Omar Yusuf, said in press statements that the meeting reviewed the position of the envoys in support of the framework agreement to reach a final agreement.
He added that they had “unequivocally” confirmed the resumption of financial support that stopped after the military council seized power in October 2021, once the final agreement was signed and a civilian-led government was formed.
During the visit, the envoys declared their strong support for efforts to expand participation in the political agreement and its speedy completion, paving the way for a civilian-led transitional government capable of addressing the country’s economic, security, and humanitarian challenges.
The British embassy in Sudan quoted Special Envoy Fairweather on its official Twitter account as saying that the framework agreement was “significant progress and achievement” but added: “There is still a lot of work left. We have stressed the need to maintain momentum while ensuring that non-signatories have the opportunity to join the process.”
U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey also called on all parties to “prioritize inclusiveness and move quickly toward a civilian-led transitional government to address political, economic, security, and humanitarian challenges.”
It was the second visit by Western envoys to Khartoum in less than a year, holding talks with army chiefs in April 2022.
It is noteworthy that the military component, represented by the Sovereignty Council in the country, reached in early December (2022) a “framework agreement” with the Forces of Freedom and Change, the Central Council and allied groups, in order to end the ongoing political crisis in the country and return to civilian rule, under the auspices of the United Nations and region.
However, some parties and committees refused to join this agreement, despite the fact that it stipulated the consolidation of the principle of justice, accountability and transitional justice mechanisms, an end to impunity, the unification of military forces within one doctrine, and the establishment of a fully civilian authority without the participation of the military in governance.
Al-Burhan, affirmed his commitment.
For his part, the Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, affirmed their commitment to the framework agreement, working with all parties and convincing the reluctants to reach a comprehensive final agreement, paving the way for a civilian-led transitional government that leads the country to free and fair elections by the end of the transitional period.
During a meeting held in his office today, with the participation of his deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, with the delegation of the six international envoys, His Excellency reiterated the commitment of the military institution to exit the political process and carry out the required reforms in the security services.
Al-Burhan urged the international envoys to fulfill their commitments to support the political transition and provide urgent assistance to Sudan.
