AU mediation: Sudan junta-opposition talks to continue this week

The African Union mediation announced that the meeting between Sudan’s ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) on the text of the Constitutional Declaration has been adjourned, with the agreement of both parties.

The technical committees of both parties are due to meet today to finalise preparations for direct negotiations to resume on Wednesday.

The junta announced on Friday that the coming days will witness a dialogue on the Constitutional Declaration and negotiations between the FFC and the Sudan Revolutionary Front brokered by Ethiopia under auspices of the African Union.

The FFC published a draft text of the Constitutional Document, which is to be negotiated with the Military Council. The draft contains the features of the transitional period, the powers and competences of the Sovereign Council and the Prime Minister.

After both parties have reached agreement on the text, they will begin to form transitional government institutions. These institutions include the Sovereign Council and a Cabinet that will lead the country during the interim period stipulated in the Political Agreement signed on July 17.

Political Agreement

On July 17, the TMC and the FFC signed a Political Agreement that lines out the rule over the country in the coming transitional period of a little more than three years. According to the text of the agreement, the Sovereign Council will consist of 11 members. Five members will be from the military, five will be civilians. The 11th member will be civilian, to be selected by both the TMC and the AFC.

The presidency will rotate. The coming 21 months, the president will be from the military, followed by a civilian for 18 months. Elections will be held after a transitional period of three years and three months.

The cabinet will exist of technocrats, to be selected by the FFC. The formation of the parliament will be discussed in a later stage.

While the international community and the National Umma Party welcomed the deal brokered by the African Union and Ethiopian mediators, the armed movements, displaced people in Darfur, and Sudanese journalists rejected the contents of the document.

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