Sudan's military council, opposition sign agreement on constitutional declaration

Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the opposition Freedom and Change Alliance on Sunday signed an agreement on the constitutional declaration that organizes work of transitional government institutions.

People prepare for celebrations in Khartoum, Sudan, August 3, 2019, after the African Union announced on the day that the ruling military council and the main opposition coalition in the country agreed on a constitutional declaration, which will pave the way to a new period of a transitional government. [Photo: EPA via IC/Marwan Ali]

The deal was initialled by Mohamed Hamdan Daqlu, deputy chairman of the TMC, and Ahmed Rabie, a leading member in the Freedom and Change Alliance.

The African Union Envoy Mohamed Hacen Lebatt and the Ethiopian Envoy Mahmud Dirir signed on the document as witnesses.

"With the signing of the agreement, we have closed a difficult page in the history of Sudan," said Daqlu during the signing ceremony.

"We entered into the negotiations as two parties and came out as one team with no winner or loser because the interest of the homeland tops everything else," he added.

Omer Al-Digair, a leading member in the Freedom and Change Alliance, said the agreement paves the way for establishment of the government institutions.

The priority during the transitional period is to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation and build peace in the country, he noted.

For his part, Lebatt called on the Sudanese people to preserve independence of their decision-making and prevent foreign intervention in Sudan's internal affairs, while Dirir said the transitional government is concerned with achieving peace with the armed movements.

The final signing of the constitutional declaration would take place on Aug. 17, the Ethiopian envoy noted.

According to the constitutional document, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces are led by the army commander who belongs to the sovereignty council, while the Police Forces and the General Intelligence Service are under supervision of the sovereignty council and the council of minters.

The document also stipulates the establishment of a legislative council with 67 percent of seats for the Freedom and Change Alliance and 33 percent for the other opposition parties.