Juba talks: Sudan peace agreement will prevail over Constitutional Document

The delegation of the Sudanese government agreed with the leaders of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel alliance during peace negotiations in Juba that peace agreements will prevail over the Constitutional Document, “because of the importance of peace for the Sudanese people and the stability of the transitional period”.

The Constitutional Document was signed in August 2019 by the then ruling Transitional Military Council and the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change. The detailed document stipulates how Sudan will be governed in a ‘transitional period’ of three years and three months. At the end of this period free and fair elections must be held.

Mohamed El Taayshi, member of the Sovereign Council and spokesperson for the government delegation at the Juba negotiations, stated that the peace agreement must address “the historically defective relationship between Khartoum and the remote and marginalised areas of the country”.

He said that the government submitted a proposal to give the states in Sudan real federal authority and powers. He said that the relations between Khartoum and the states should not be dealt with as in the past, when the real roots of the problems were not addressed. He also said that the distribution of power within the states themselves must be taken into account.

Ibrahim Zariba, chief negotiator of the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance (SLFA), affirmed that an agreement was reached on the importance of the peace agreement. He said it provides “legal and constitutional protection for the peace agreement”, that still has to be reached.

Member of the South Sudanese mediation team Dhieu Mathok said that the two parties agreed on many items related to the issue of authority (the relationship between the national government and marginalised regions in Sudan). He stressed the need to deal with all issues raised by all parties as soon as possible, especially in the track of Darfur and the track of the Two Regions (Blue Nile and South Kordofan).

Appointment of governors

Information Minister Feisal Mohamed Salih said to reporters yesterday that the government delegation and the armed rebel movements agreed to deal with the appointments of civilian governors within a week.

He also said that the Minister for Federal Government, Yousef El Dei, visited states where there are differences of opinion between the ruling military governors, the Forces for Freedom and Change, and the resistance committees ain the town districts and villages. He said it has been agreed that the military governors will remain until the appointment of civilian governors. The civilian state governors will be nominated by the Forces for Freedom and Change.