PM Hamdok: FCC political declaration is ‘a historical event and step on the right track’

The Sudanese capital of Khartoum witnessed the signing of a Political Declaration of the Unity of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) yesterday by 43 parties and movements within the framework of the Central Council for Freedom and Change and the Sudan Revolutionary Front, along with the National Umma Party. The declaration was signed, in the presence of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and civilian members of the Sovereignty Council. The civilian nature of the event was emphasised so the military component was not present.

Addressing the signing ceremony at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum, Prime Minister Hamdok said that besides the issues of transition and the building of the democratic civilian state, the signing of the declaration is “a historical event and step on the right track”.

Hamdouk called for the unity of all the forces of the revolution to realise the aspirations of the Sudanese people.

The signatories affirmed adherence to the unity of the FFC, support for the transitional government, and the success of the transition. The declaration stipulated conducting a dialogue with all the forces of revolution and change and the living social forces that were not included in this alliance.

The declaration stipulates the establishment of new mechanisms to lead and unify the FFC, namely a General Conference, a General Assembly, a Central Council and an Executive Block, which will be supported by specialised committees.

The signatories also affirmed their commitment to search for the most appropriate formulas for joint action with the resistance committees.

The declaration affirmed the commitment to holding free and fair elections on their dates and seeking to develop a formula that would enable the FFC to contest the upcoming general elections in a common format.

The declaration called for the regular forces not to be involved in political conflicts and to adhere to their professionalism and impartiality, and to seek to build a unified and professional system of regular forces that reflects diversity, based on a new military doctrine, reform the security and military sector, and build a single professional national army.

The declaration stressed the implementation and completion of the peace agreement, improving living conditions and resolving the economic crisis.

The declaration .stipulated the obligation to extradite the wanted persons to the International Criminal Court. The signatory powers affirmed that they prioritize solving all obstacles facing the formation of the Transitional Legislative Council, and all transition institutions, especially the Constitutional Court, the High Judicial Council, the Public Prosecution Council, commissions and others.

The signatories committed themselves to removing empowerment, fighting corruption, ending the parallel state and building the nation state according to the foundations that build the rule of law.

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM refused to sign the declaration, nor did the Technical Committee for Freedom and Change, which includes a number of parties and movements, including the Sudan Liberation Movement faction under the leadership of Minni Minawi.

The JEM says that it is not part of the political declaration, explaining that “the meetings did not take the comments of the movement seriously”, calling the declaration an “incomplete vision in a way that does not achieve comprehensive unity”.

The movement called on the forces of the Sudanese revolution to uphold the value of unity, which is based on a real solution to the existing imbalances. It also affirmed its “adherence to the unity of the revolutionary forces and its work to expand the political support to include all the forces of the live revolution without isolating anyone”.