Sudan's Political Forces Ink Consensus Agreement in Cairo

Representatives of Sudanese political forces and parties signed a political consensus agreement in Cairo on Tuesday, concluding an “inter-Sudanese” dialogue that tackled a number of issues including the transition to democracy and addressing the situation in East Sudan.

The agreement included adopting the constitutional document signed in August 2019 and amended in 2020 with amendments that are compatible with the current requirements for governing the remainder of the transitional period, especially since there is no constituent authority that can authorise a new constitution.

The participants also affirmed their commitment to the Juba Peace Agreement signed in October 2020 and to addressing the conditions that produced the various civil wars by improving the economic and living situation of marginal areas.

They agreed that this should be done while taking into account the importance of addressing the situation in East Sudan and solving problems through an agreed upon negotiating platform acceptable to the people of the east.

Concerning elections, the participants agreed that free and fair elections require the formation of an independent commission and that the elections shall be held within a maximum period of two years from the date of appointing a prime minister.

The dialogue kicked off on Thursday and launched a workshop under the title “Democratic transition prospects towards a Sudan that accommodates everyone.”

The workshop discussed the situation in East Sudan as well as the democratic transition in Sudan in general.

The chairman of the United People’s Front for Liberation and Justice Al-Amin Dawoud said in a press conference following the workshop that the discussions centred around ways to achieve relative stability and peaceful coexistence in East Sudan.

Dawoud stressed that the stability of East Sudan is at the top of priorities for any agreement.

The workshop was attended by at least 85 representatives of 35 parties and movements as well as representatives of civil society organisations.

Several diplomats from the USA, Europe, South Sudan, and the Arab League attended the workshop.

The political blocs participating in the workshop included the Freedom and Change Democratic Bloc, the National Consensus Bloc, the National Movement Bloc, the National Forces Bloc, and the Revolutionary Front, along with representatives of civil society, academics, women and youth and representatives of some resistance committees.

The participants were divided into 10 committees on constitutional arrangements, peace, the issues of eastern Sudan, transitional authority structures and governing bodies, transitional justice, dismantling the June thirtieth system, the transitional period program, institutional reform, youth, and media.

Last month, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with the Head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan last December in Riyadh on the sidelines of the first China-Arab summit.

During their meeting, El-Sisi affirmed Egypt's support for the recently reached Political Framework Agreement as an important step to establish governance structure principles and support the Sudanese state in ensuring the success of the political process through a Sudanese consensus to achieve stability and prosperity for the country.