UNITED NATIONS
\nSenior UN officials have welcomed an agreement signed on Monday between military and civilian leaders in Sudan as a \u201ccourageous\u201d step forward towards the establishment of democratic rule.
\nSigned in the capital Khartoum after months of negotiations following last year\u2019s military coup which derailed the transition, the agreement aims to establish a new constitution.
\nUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he hoped the signing would \u201cpave the way for the return to a civilian-led transition in the country\u201d, and called on all Sudanese \u201cto work without delay on the next phase of the transition process to address outstanding issues with a view to achieving a lasting, inclusive political settlement.\u201d
\nHe added that the UN through the Trilateral Mechanism comprised of the UN mission in Sudan, the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), \u201cremains committed to supporting the process going forward.\u201d
\n\u201cIt is my hope that the principles in the document will be translated into action\u201d, UN Special Representative in Sudan Volker Perthes said. \u201cThe transitional authorities need to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of all Sudanese, regardless of their ethnic, religious or political background.\u201d The deal will initially create a new two-year civilian transitional authority led by a prime minister chosen by the coalition of civilian leaders signing up to the agreement. A second phase would see public consultations over transitional justice, military and security reform and the agreement two years ago over demilitarizing the restive Darfur region.
\nIt comes after months of protest and violence, which has led to well over 100 demonstrators killed by security forces, and more than 8,000 sustaining \u201clife-changing\u201d injuries, according to UN human rights chief Volker Turk, briefing journalists in Sudan last month.
\nIn a statement issued on Monday, Turk, also welcomed the new pact, calling it \u201can important first step\u201d, calling for sustained international support during the next phase of transition.
\nTurk said that during his fact-finding mission where he met a wide spectrum of Sudanese, he said he had been touched by their vision for a future \u201canchored in human rights and justice\u201d.
\nHe described the signing of the framework agreement as a huge opportunity to ensure that their vision becomes reality.
\nHe also welcomed the release of two former officials as \u201can important confidence-building measure\u201d. Ahead of Monday\u2019s signing, the military authorities released Wagdi Salah, a prominent opposition figure who was detained earlier in the year.
\nPerthes, speaking at the signing ceremony for the new agreement, said that the process leading up to it had been \u201ctruly Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led\u201d.
\nHe applauded the military\u2019s commitment outlined last July to transfer power back to civilian leaders, saying it had created a \u201cnew dynamic which is now reflected in the understanding about the transitional institutions.\u201d
\nHe also highlighted civilian leaders\u2019 ability to establish a broad consensus through compromise and underscored the \u201cdecisive role\u201d playing by young men and women demonstrators.
\n\u201cWithout them, we would probably not be here at this moment. It is my hope that these young men and women will consider this Agreement as an important first step towards the restoration of civilian rule and the realization of the goals of the December revolution\u201d, which led to the overthrow of the former dictator, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019.
\nPerthes acknowledged the \u201cultimate price\u201d paid by many who had taken to the streets, saying the UN \u201cstands with them in their demands for justice and accountability and their freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.\u201d
\nHe said it was important for the second phase of consultation to begin immediately, for a comprehensive political settlement. \u201cWhile this framework agreement is not perfect, it does provide a very good basis to begin to restore civilian rule. I strongly encourage all other parties to join the political process and engage constructively in pursuit of this goal\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UNITED NATIONS Senior UN officials have welcomed an agreement signed on Monday between military and civilian leaders in Sudan as a \u201ccourageous\u201d step forward towards the establishment of democratic rule. Signed in the capital Khartoum after months of negotiations following last year\u2019s military coup which derailed the transition, the agreement aims to establish a new […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":299705,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-299689","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n