Sudan Military, Civilian Bloc Ink Framework Agreement to Resolve Political Impasse

On Monday, Sudan's ruling military and major civilian leaders signed a framework deal to end their country's crippling political crisis.

 The deal, the first of at least two planned accords, provides for a two-year civilian-led transition toward elections and would end a stand off triggered by a coup in October 2021.

It was signed by Sudan’s ruling generals, Abdel-Fattah el-Burhan and Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, and the leaders from Sudan’s largest pro-democracy group, Forces of Freedom and Change, at Khartoum’s Republican Palace.

'The framework agreement puts an emphasis on a unified professional national army and will be committed to criminalizing military coups," the parties said at the ceremony.

The framework agreement will also adopt a “balanced” foreign policy that serves the interests of Sudan.

It also set the transitional period at two years from the moment a prime minister is appointed. The agreement will expand the powers of the prime minister during the transitional period.

Sudan has been gripped in a deep political crisis since a coup a year ago. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power in October 2021, derailing a rocky transition to civilian rule that had started after the 2019 ouster of veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir.