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Oct 9, 2020
CAIRO – The Sudanese government and various armed groups signed the Juba peace agreement on October 3. The agreement had been postponed several times, but the signing ceremony was finally held in the Freedom Square in Juba, the capital of neighboring South Sudan, in a joyful atmosphere. and in the presence of regional and international figures, including the presidents of Somalia, Chad, and Djibouti, along with the prime ministers of Egypt and Ethiopia, the US envoy to North and South Sudan, and representatives of several other countries.
The Juba Agreement includes eight principles related to land ownership issues, the system in Sudan is divided into districts instead of states, transitional justice and compensation, the development of the nomadic and pastoral sector, the sharing of wealth and the development of Darfur. district and other marginalized to join other districts that have experienced development and power-sharing, as well as the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes. At the security level, the agreement underscored the need to integrate the combatants of the movements and armed factions that signed the agreement into the Sudanese national army.
The agreement was signed by Sudan’s transitional authority and various armed factions, namely the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, which includes five armed factions and four political movements.
However, the armed groups known as the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid Nur, which is fighting in Darfur, as well as the Sudan-North People’s Liberation Movement led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, which operates in the states Sudanese from South Kordofan and the Blue Nile, did not sign.
Despite this, the agreement will mark the end of a dark history of wars and internal conflicts in Sudan that left hundreds dead and wounded and caused the displacement of millions in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
The conflict in the Darfur region, which erupted in 2003, has claimed the lives of more than 300,000 people and has displaced nearly 2.5 million people, according to United Nations data. The people of Darfur had been demanding development in their area, where for years they suffered marginalization and ethnic discrimination, before the situation escalated into all-out war.
It is noteworthy that the Juba Agreement calls for the achievement of peace between Sudan and various armed factions, but does not mention South Sudan.
The Sudanese people hope that the agreement can be successful in ending the fighting and establishing the principles of peace and coexistence among all Sudanese factions, which was evident in the hundreds of citizens who embraced the agreement.
Mohammed al-Shazly, Egypt’s former ambassador to Khartoum, told Al-Monitor that the Juba peace agreement is an important step on the right path to build the state of Sudan and unify ranks. He stressed that Khartoum has a great need for stability in order to achieve comprehensive development, especially as Khartoum faces various challenges at all levels, the most important of which is the armed conflict between rebel factions in various districts of Sudan. This is in addition to the fact that sanctions imposed on Sudan continue to hamper development efforts, which, according to Shazly, requires all parties to reject violence and firmly adhere to this agreement to unify ranks.
In August 1993, the US State Department issued a decision to add Sudan to its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, issued an executive order on November 13, 1997, applying economic and trade sanctions to Sudan. Much of these sanctions remain in effect to this day.
Shazly hopes that this agreement will bring peace between all Sudanese factions, as it is a great opportunity to reject the armed conflict in Khartoum, and the Sudanese people will reap the fruits of this agreement once it is implemented.
Shazly explained that the peace agreement will have many positive political and economic aspects, noting that the terms of the agreement were natural and logical, that is, achieving the principles of peace and social justice, as well as integrating armed combatants within the national army. of Khartoum.
However, he expressed concern about the agreement that still lacks certain factors, as some factions and armed groups, such as the Sudan Liberation Movement, have not yet been signed.
Shazly pointed out that choosing Juba to sign the agreement has great significance that lies in South Sudan’s enthusiasm for achieving peace in northern Sudan, and emphasizing the strength and depth of relations between the two states, emphasizing that South Sudan and North Sudan possess enormous natural resources, which requires everyone to overcome their differences and work together to achieve comprehensive development.
Ayman Shabana, professor of political science and director of the Center for African Research at Cairo University, told Al-Monitor that the transitional government that now governs Sudan represents a great opportunity to achieve peace throughout the country, especially since Most of the armed factions have contributed heavily to the overthrow of the Omar al-Bashir regime, rallying under the banner of the Forces for Freedom and Change alliance.
He stressed that these groups strongly believe that the Bashir regime was an obstacle to achieving peace, and with its overthrow, those factions have previously stated that they are not in conflict with the Sudanese people and that they have no separatist intentions, but their problem it is the marginalization and isolation that some of them suffered.
Shabana added that the decades-long conflicts and wars in Sudan have convinced all parties that military solutions are not the way to solve the crises Sudan is experiencing, so the Juba Agreement seemed like a sure way to go. achieve peace and development. achieving social justice and renouncing armed violence.
Shabana noted that having strong international support would further help the agreement to achieve peace between all Sudanese factions.
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