After months of unrest the military Council and the protest movement in Sudan have agreed on a common approach. However, many of the points in dispute are still open. They are not resolved, threatens the country’s further trouble.
For weeks the military Council and the protest movement in Sudan had faced each other in bloody clashes. Alone at the rallies at the 3. June had been killed, according to the protesters, 136 people and injured hundreds.
Recently, however, representatives of both sides had negotiated over the political future of the country. The talks were tough, but now, on Wednesday morning, both parties signed in the capital of Khartoum an agreement on the formation of a transitional government. This, in the paper as the “sovereign Council” referred to, is to remain three years and three months in office. Members should be six civilians and five military. At the top during the first 21 months of a military stand, in the following 18 months, a civilian.
The agreement was a good step, says Montasser, Ahmad Mahmoud, a member of the Sudanese Opposition. It is neither the maximum demands of the protest movement and the military’s complete though. “But this is exactly what both sides are forced the agreement to be complied with. Because only in this way the stability of the Sudan can preserve. Only in this way we avoid to be involved in a new armed conflict dragged on,” said Mahmoud in an interview with DW. That’s why it was important for the further process in a disciplined manner. Also with the help of international mediators continue playing a major role.
Step forward in the signing of the agreement on Wednesday in Khartoum
Real work is still to come
And yet, the two parties had done a decisive step, says Sudan expert Annette Weber of the Berlin Foundation “science and politics”. The agreement was a step forward, could you congratulate the Participants. “However,” says Weber, “before you can use the actual work”.
In fact, all the contentious issues are far from solved. So such discussions to the formation of the future Parliament are. Also no agreement on the withdrawal of militias from Khartoum, there is still. This step had called for the protest movement. A potential conflict also the discussion on the impunity for those military that were involved in the violence of the past few months makes. The generals had demanded in the negotiations of full immunity. Representatives of the protest movement rejected this claim.
In fact, it went so far particularly around issues of power-sharing, says Annette Weber, in an interview with DW. Now, both sides would have to devote to the actual challenges of the difficult economic situation, the occupation of the security apparatus and the rule of law. “In this context, also the question of how an independent judiciary can be guaranteed by a military Council, which is for the massacre at the beginning of June responsible.”
Step forward in the signing of the agreement on Wednesday in Khartoum
Strife within the individual storage
The talks are likely to open up about other problems, expected to Weber – namely, within the two parties themselves. In the protest movement, different groups are represented. The wingspan ranges from of the – in terms of numbers rather minor – the Communist party over the trade unions, Islamist associations. Yet they were United by the common opposition to the ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir, and the tense relationship to the military Council. Henceforth, however, it is likely to go to these groups to let their respective performances in the negotiations. “The order of the economy, the role of the Shari’ah, dealing with the past – all of this is now up for discussion,” said Annette Weber. “Because it is likely to be a whole series of disputes.”
Also on the side of the military are likely to be small differences. Open is about how the employees of the secret service behavior. In the Regime of Omar al-Bashir played a Central role. “It is therefore doubtful that the employees watch now just as civilians determine the future of Sudan,” Weber said.
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Agreement on power-sharing in Sudan
Custody of the Libyan scenario
The on Wednesday sealed the agreement is therefore only a first step. Now it comes down to is whether the on both sides gathered in different groups to muster the will, their respective interests to the Welfare of the entire country’s map. If this succeeds, be open, says Annette Weber. It is yet to be decided is not whether the Sudan was moving in the next few years in the direction of a democratisation and transparent policy, or whether at the end of the networks from the time of the previous government could claim. “The more it comes down to who can convince the population of the program.”
Similarly, Osman Mirghani, chief editor of the Sudanese newspaper “Al-Tiyar sees it”. The future of the Sudan was open. Therefore, all pages are required to show discipline. No one wants a scenario like in Libya,” said Mirghani, in allusion to the in several rule areas, broken country in the North of Africa.