SPA calls for Sudanese military restructure and Legislative Council formation

Serious steps must be taken to restructure security and military institutions in Sudan, along with quick formation of the Legislative Council and other governance structures, said the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA) in a statement yesterday.

The organisation has called on transitional authorities, in particular the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and those which signed the Juba Peace Agreement, to push for restructuring of these institutions once and for all. This includes the rehabilitation and training of security and military members and defining the powers of the institutions.

The SPA also demanded that the police force to “do its job” in protecting citizens and their property.

The formation of the Legislative Council, which was due to take place on December 31 following significant delays, must be expedited by the FFC and other partners, the SPA said. This along with the formation of governance structures and other commissions stipulated in the Constitutional Document.

The next few days will see the formation of the Council of Ministers and new announcements from the commissions, the Sovereign Council, and the Legislative Council, said PM Abdallah Hamdok in a speech on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the country’s independence yesterday.

“The formation is long overdue”, Hafiz Ismail stated in an interview with Radio Dabanga on December 12. “We still do not know when it is exactly going to happen”. According to Hafiz, there are many forces benefiting from the absence of a parliament at the moment.

On Monday, the Sudan Liberation Forces (SLF), the Sudan Liberation Movement-Transitional Council (SLM-TC), related to the Sudan Revolutionary Front Alliance, and the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) signed a joint memorandum, stating that it is necessary to establish numerous governance structures during the transitional period, including the formation of the Legislative Council and the adoption of a forum for comprehensive political dialogue to support political consensus during the transitional period.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) also called on all Sudanese parties to fully implement the Juba Peace Agreement and form the "long-awaited" Legislative Council on December 20. 

The statement also called on the Council of Ministers, the wali (governor) of Khartoum, the Ministry of Interior Affairs, the Director General of the Police Forces and the Attorney General to provide clarifications on the events of New Year's Eve. It referred to the failure of authorities to maintain security and public safety and secure people and property from damage.

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