The ‘troika’ for Sudan and the EU call for an “inclusive dialogue” to form a transitional civilian government

They demand “clarity” and “supervision” of the Army’s role and that those responsible for abuses “be held accountable”

July 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The members of the ‘troika’ for Sudan and the European Union (EU) have demanded “all political actors” to start an “inclusive dialogue” in view of the formation of a civilian government to complete the transition process in Sudan.

The signatories — the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway, in addition to the EU — have said that “this process must generate an agreement that defines a clear timetable for free and fair elections, the procedures for choosing a prime minister and other senior officials and a dispute resolution mechanism to help avert future political crises.

They have also stressed that they “take note” of the announcement by the head of the Army and president of the Sovereign Transitional Council, Abdelfatá al Burhan, about the withdrawal of the military from the political talks.

“We recognize the declared intention of the military forces to withdraw from the political scene once there is an agreement between the civilian parties to form a transitional government”, they have pointed out, before emphasizing that “the Army and the security forces must fulfill this commitment “.

They must also end violence against civilians and hold accountable those responsible for extrajudicial executions and other human rights violations and abuses.

In this sense, they have emphasized that “a transitional government must be led by civilians, have a broad base and national support.” “There must also be clarity and supervision on the role and responsibilities of the Army. These issues cannot be defined unilaterally by the Army and require dialogue and transparency to help avoid future disputes,” they argued.

The signatories have also supported the efforts of the tripartite mechanism — made up of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) — to “facilitate this inclusive dialogue” and have reiterated their regret at “the continuing loss of life and reversal of significant economic and political progress nearly three years after Sudan began its transition to democracy.”

“We applaud the Sudanese people’s commitment to a more peaceful and just future and honor the sacrifices of those who have lost their lives in support of democracy. The ‘troika’ and the EU look forward to supporting a transitional civilian government that enjoys support popular and that reflects the hopes and aspirations shared with the Sudanese people”, they settled.

Al Burhan announced on July 4 that the Army will not participate in the negotiations sponsored by the tripartite mechanism and urged the political forces to promote “immediate serious dialogue” to “restore the unity of the Sudanese people.” Once this agreement is reached, the Sovereign Transitional Council will be dissolved and a Security and Defense Council will be formed.

The October 2021 coup d’état led to the dismissal of the civilian prime minister, Abdalá Hamdok, although international pressure forced an agreement to reinstate him in office in November, causing him to lose support among the opposition and revolutionary forces.

However, Hamdok presented his resignation in January in protest against the repression of the mobilizations and after the military authorities expelled various civil groups from the Executive, arguing that they were acting against the interests of the State.

The transitional authorities were established after an agreement between the previous military junta, which emerged after the 2019 coup against Omar Hassan al Bashir, and various civil organizations and opposition political formations. This Government had initiated a battery of social and economic reforms and has reached a peace agreement with important rebel groups from Darfur and other areas of the country.