Day: February 11, 2023

A spokesman for the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said on Saturday that disagreement continues between the signatories to the framework agreement and the non-signatory groups over who can be included in the ongoing process.

Earlier on Saturday, the military-led Sovereignty Council announced that an agreement has been reached between the signatories and no-signatories to the framework agreement to sign a political declaration, paving the way for the latter to join the ongoing political process.

The deal has been struck between military component leaders, the political forces -parties to the framework agreement- and three recalcitrant leaders including JEM leader Gibril Ibrahim, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) deputy chairman Gaffar al-Mirghani and the head of the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) Minni Minnawi.

Late on Saturday, JEM Spokesman dismissed the statement issued by the Sovereign Council saying that the dispute over who could sign the political agreement has not been resolved.

He stressed the need to include parties that believe in democratic transition in the ongoing political process.

He further rejected the “measurement instruments” set by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) to classify the political forces into “the forces of the revolution and the forces of transition.”

On December 5, 2022, the military leaders and civil forces signed the Political Framework Agreement aiming to end the 15-month political crisis. However, two signatories of the Juba Peace Agreement that backed the military coup opposed the deal and formed a coalition including some of the former regime forces.

To please the military leaders who call for inclusivity, the pro-democracy leaders accepted the participation in the transitional period of some Islamist and traditional groups that were part of the former regime but rejected the coup d’état which interrupted the democratic and economic reforms.

They further said that the former rebel groups, which backed the October 2021 coup, can join them because they are part of the Juba peace agreement.

But JEM and SLM are opposed to the framework agreement because it would end their participation in the new transitional government that should be formed of technocrats.

The two groups formed a coalition ‘Democratic Alliance’ which includes various political groups including a DUP faction backed by the Egyptian government.

FFC confirm meetings

Mohamed Abdel Hakam, a spokesman of the Unionist Alliance, one of the FFC’s main components, confirmed on Saturday night that they held a series of meetings with the JEM DUP and SLM- MM groups during the past few days.

Abdel Hakam added that the meetings would continue until reaching an agreement paving the way for the restoration of a civilian government.

His statement confirms that no agreement has been reached and denied the statement of the Sovereign Council.

“We reiterate our commitment to the terms of the Agreement and its parties. Also, we reaffirm our endeavour to bring in the train of the political process all parties that we have determined ‘in advance’,” he further stressed.

The signatories to the framework agreement signed individually as political forces, but JEM and SLM demanded to sign as a political coalition to bring in their allies.

Source: Sudan Tribune

The prosecution team in the case of an SSPDF soldier who allegedly killed three Syrian Nationals and a South Sudanese have been granted one week by the General Court Martial to conduct pre-investigation at the crime scene.

During the hearing on Friday, the head of the Prosecution team led by Lt. Col. Andrew Yak Nyok readout the statement given by the accused Private Yak Garang Yak which he attested of killing the three Syrian nationals and the South Sudanese man who was killed by a stray bullet.

During the testimony in his statement, the accused confessed that he killed the three Syrians because of poor working conditions.

Pvt. Yak said the Syrian company they worked for paid him a wage of SSP 1,000 daily and that it could not cater to his needs due to the high cost of living. He also accused the company of denying him and his family members medical insurance.

In his testimony, Yak said he spared the life of the fourth victim so that he could inform the families of the deceased of what transpired. Unfortunately, he also died.

After the testimony, the Prosecution team requested the court to grant them two weeks to visit the scene and collect all evidence but the court presided over by Maj. Gen. Majok Michael Chan, President of the General Court Martial granted them only one week.

“To conduct pre-investigation at the spot or crime scene for the formant, potential witnesses, and other crime material exhibits as we shall be waiting for possible facilitation to the scene site from South Sudan`s People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF),” said Lt. Col. Andrew Yak Nyok.

Meanwhile, the Defense Team led by Captain Malook Lual requested that the immediate command officer for the accused who was in Akon be summoned before the court.

Private Yak Garang Yak, a member of the Tiger Division which protects the president is accused of shooting three Syrian construction workers who were building President Salva Kiir’s house and a young man in Akon village on 7 January.

Source: Radio Tamazuj

Military leaders who control power in Khartoum approved a deal to establish a logistic base for the Russian navy in Port Sudan, in return; Moscow would provide weapons and equipment to the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF).

On February 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with the Head of the Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Before leaving the Sudanese capital, Lavrov told reporters that the deal, which was agreed upon during the rule of former President Omer al-Bashir, is readily awaiting the approval of the Sudanese parliament, without further details.

In June 2021, Lt Gen Mohamed Osman al-Hussein, Chief of General Staff, stated they need to review the agreement.

Citing Sudanese military sources, the Associated Press on Saturday reported that the Sudanese army has given the green light for the military base after getting the Russian commitment to meet Sudan’s demand including weapons and equipment.

“They cleared all our concerns. The deal has become OK from the military side,” a Sudanese military official to The AP.

The military base on the Red Sea will host 300 troops and four military ships including nuclear-powered ones. The base is crucial for Moscow’s plans to expand its influence in Africa and link landlocked countries where they are present with the Red Sea.

Moscow is accused of seeking to destabilize the Paris-supported government in Africa and offering troops hired by a Russian private security contractor Wagner to protect military regimes that flared in the continent.

Until recently, the focus was shed on the head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the deputy head of the Sovereign Council after several reports about his close cooperation with Wagner in Sudan cold mining and in the neighbouring Central African Republic.

However, it appeared that the deal benefits the SAF more than the RSF.

Several countries in the region including Saudi Arabia and Egypt showed some concerns over the deal and sought to dissuade the SAF commander-in-chief from implementing the deal.

Source: Sudan Tribune