SUDAN NEWS ALERT: Sudan Tribune - Gov’t, armed groups strike deal on Sudan transitional parliament

8/7/2020: Sudan Tribune - Gov’t, armed groups strike deal on Sudan transitional parliament

 Sudan Tribune report that Sudan’s transitional government, Freedom and Change Forces (FFC) and armed groups agreed to allocate 75 seats of the Transitional Legislative Council to the Sudanese Revolutionary Front and Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi.

 The deal follows ten days of talks, in which the armed groups initially requested 140 seats out of the 300 available seats.

 Sudan Tribune note that another meeting is expected to take place between the parties to discuss a draft agreement on power-sharing in Darfur.

 The rebel groups demand that $13 billion is allocated over 10 years, whereas the government proposed $5 billion. However, a donor conference to finance the implementation of the peace agreement in Darfur is promised.

 The Darfuri rebels almost demand that demanding 60% of state institutions are allocated to them, whereas the draft says the rebels and government will have 40% each, with the remaining 20% left for stakeholders.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Independent - After the Sudanese uprisings, women’s rights hang in the balance

8/7/19: Independent - After the Sudanese uprisings, women’s rights hang in the balance, by Nada Mustafa Ali

 Nada Mustafa Ali, a lecturer in women’s gender and sexuality studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, calls for women to have “meaningful” participation at all levels of Sudanese civilian government, with commitments to gender equality and women’s human rights are entrenched in constitutional, legal and policy reform.

 Stating that the transitional military council has created a difficult atmosphere for women’s participation and rights, Ali suggests  that Sudan can learn from “partial successes in post-conflict [African] countries.”

 She notes that Rwanda “has one of the highest number of women legislators in the world,” and introduced several laws that promote women’s rights, with Liberia’s “broad and vibrant women’s peace movement [playing] a key role in resisting the oppressive government,” and electing Africa’s first woman president.  

 Ali concludes that Sudan must build a strong and independent women’s movement that reflects the diverse priorities, realities, and visions of Sudanese women.

SUDAN INSIGHT ALERT: Economist - The Sudan peace deal is greeted with little excitement

8/7/19: Economist - The Sudan peace deal is greeted with little excitement

The Economist argue that the Sudanese power-sharing agreement is a “partial” victory for protesters, with close international monitoring and “persistent badgering from the streets” required to prevent the junta from consolidating its power.

 The Economist highlight protest leaders’ concessions that will result in the junta maintaining power, citing the junta’s ability to appoint “one of their own” as the head of the sovereign council for the first 21 months, the postponed formation of a legislative body that is two-thirds civilians, and that the elections due in three years “[leave] less time for the establishment of institutions to ensure the vote is credible.”

 The Economist also argue that the deal is unlikely to generate justice, citing Himedti’s attempts to prevent an investigation into the June 3 massacre, and that he will try to prevent efforts to put the RSF under civilian control.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP – Sudan’s military council to be dissolved in transition deal

8/7/19: AP – Sudan’s military council to be dissolved in transition deal

 Sudanese transitional military council leader Abdulfattah Al Burhan says that the TMC will be dissolved with the implementation of a power-sharing deal reached with protesters last week.

 Al Burhan said the army would return to its barracks after 21 months, when leadership of the sovereign council passes from a military representative to a civilian.

 Al Burhan also said the sovereign council would have a veto on Cabinet of technocrats appointed by protesters, and the body’s decisions. He said the transitional period would be dedicated to advancing peace efforts with rebel groups and overhauling the economy.

SUDAN NEWS ALERT: AP – Sudanese say US pressure was key to reaching transition deal

8/7/19: AP – Sudanese say US pressure was key to reaching transition deal, by Samy Magdy

 AP reports that the power-sharing agreement reached between Sudan’s military and pro-democracy protesters last week came after the US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE applied intense pressure on both sides amid fears a prolonged crisis could tip the country into civil war, activists and officials said.

 The breakthrough for the agreement came during a secret meeting the day before the June 30 protests, when diplomats from the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE pressed the two sides to accept proposals from the African Union and Ethiopia.

 Two anonymous Egyptian officials said the US ramped pressure on the Sudanese military, as well as its Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian allies.

 An anonymous Sudanese military official said: “[the US’] message was clear: power-sharing in return for guarantees that nobody from the council will be tried [for the June 3 massacre].”