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Sudan’s transitional government signed a long-awaited peace agreement with various armed groups on Monday, raising hopes of ending 17 years of conflict.
Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok and Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, signed the agreement with the Sudan Revolutionary Front, a coalition of armed groups operating primarily in the volatile regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and Kordofan. del Sur, the country’s national station reported.
After nine months of tough negotiations, the signing took place in Juba, the capital of neighboring South Sudan, under the auspices of President Salva Kiir, who has been instrumental in mediating the deal.
The historic pact includes agreements on power sharing, land ownership, compensation and reconciliation, as well as the return of those displaced from their homes during 17 years of conflict.
It also provides for the dismantling of the rebel forces and their integration into the national army.
“Everyone expected peace [deal] it would be signed in two or three months, but we realized that the issues were very complex, “Hamdok said after the signing ceremony.
“However, we were able to accomplish this great work and this is the beginning of peace building,” he added.
A representative of the Sudan Revolutionary Front said the coalition hoped the agreement would end the suffering of the people of Sudan.
“The agreement signed today in Juba is a milestone for Sudan’s most troubled regions and is a very significant sign of progress for Sudan’s transition,” said Jonas Horner, senior analyst at the African think tank International Crisis Group.
“But it is also far from comprehensive and represents only a first step towards peace, while significant obstacles remain in the way of its implementation,” Horner added.
Sudan’s most powerful armed groups, the SPLA-North led by Abdulaziz al-Hilu and the Sudan Liberation Movement-Abdul Wahid Al-Nur, remain outside the agreement, Horner said.
The European Union welcomed the agreement and called on the two remaining armed groups to join the peace efforts.
Monday’s peace agreement represents an “important milestone for Sudan’s ongoing democratic and economic transition,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.
“This is the time for all Sudanese stakeholders to put aside their differences and seek the greater good of the country and of all Sudanese,” Borrell said.
Armed groups have been the cause of ongoing violence in the volatile Horn of Africa nation since 2003, when unrest broke out in the restless Darfur region.
Some 300,000 people have died due to the conflict and millions have been displaced, according to the United Nations.
Source: GNA
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