Sudan's Military and Civilian Leaders Sign Deal to End Impasse

On Monday, Sudan's military and civilian leaders signed a framework agreement to end the political impasse and institute a two-year transitional civilian authority.

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Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Army, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces, signed the deal on behalf of the military forces.

Representatives of the Forces of the Freedom and Change Alliance, the Revolutionary Front, other political organizations, workers' unions, and civil society organizations signed the agreement on behalf of the political forces.

Al-Burhan during his address to the signing ceremony vowed that the military establishment would exit the political process and support the democratic transition until reaching the general election.

He also stressed the need to reform the Sudanese Armed Forces to make them a constitutional institution that is subject to the constitution and maintains neutrality without politicization or partisanship.

Commander of the Rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo reiterated his personal and institutional commitment to protect the transitional period and enhance civilian rule.

"The framework agreement, which we signed today, constitutes a new phase in Sudan's political history aiming to complete the transitional period," he said at the signing ceremony.

Al-Wathiq Al-Birair, the representative of the Forces of Freedom and Change Alliance, said the signed deal "establishes for a civilian rule and for completing the tasks of glorious December Revolution."

The framework agreement is based on the draft transitional constitution put forward by the steering committee of the Sudan Bar Association, which was internationally and locally welcomed, including by the military forces, with the latter expressing some reservations regarding a number of its provisions.

The draft establishes a constitutional framework to govern what remains during the transitional period, and provides for the formation of a civilian-led government and a council to run the national security and defense affairs.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis since Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the sovereign council and the government.