There’s hope that Sudan’s period of political uncertainty is over, as the opposition coalition and the ruling military council have announced a power sharing accord.
A joint military-civilian sovereign council is now poised to rule the country over the next 36 months. The council will be comprised of 5 civilians and 5 military officials. Leadership will rotate such that the military will be in charge for the next 18 months, after which they shall hand over power to the civilian arm of the council for the following 18 months.
Additionally, the agreement between the two sides calls for the formation of an independent government, and an impartial investigation into the recent episodes of violence, which according to the ruling junta, resulted in 62 deaths. The opposition has on the other hand claimed more than 100 people were killed, with more still injured, and many women raped.
This brutal crackdown is mostly blamed on the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary unit that has been blamed for atrocities in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, and Kordofan. Yet its commander, Gen. Mohamed Dagolo, is the second in command in the ruling junta, and seems to have had a role in the negotiations.
“We would like to reassure all political forces, armed movements and all those who participated in the change from young men and women … that this agreement will be comprehensive and will not exclude anyone,” said Gen. Dagolo following the announcement of the accord.
While the accord gives Sudan hope to a peaceful future, there still is a bit of skepticism, given that the nation is still in a virtual internet blackout, and the memories of the violent dispersal are all too recent.
Africa Global News Publication
