|
But
the deal has been opposed by protest groups that are against
negotiations with the military, and by Islamist factions loyal
to the regime of former leader Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in
2019.
Demonstrations broke out in at least two areas of the capital
Khartoum before the signing ceremony, a witness told Reuters.
Under the framework agreement, the military - which has led the
government since the coup - agreed it would only be represented
on a security and defence council headed by a prime minister.
The outline pact set no date for a final agreement or the
appointment of a prime minister, and left sensitive issues
including transitional justice and security sector reform for
further talks.
After signing the deal at the presidential palace, military
leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said civilian control of politics
must be respected.
Signatories applauded when he repeated a slogan used by
protesters to call for the army to exit politics: "Soldiers to
the barracks".
Last year's coup halted a power-sharing arrangement between the
military and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition,
and Sudan has been without a prime minister since the start of
the year.
The coup led to more than a year of mass protests against the
military, and to the suspension of billions of dollars in
international financial assistance, deepening an economic
crisis.
Many of the groups signing the framework deal on Monday were the
same that signed a constitutional declaration months after
Bashir's ouster, setting up the first transition.
"The goals of the agreement are establishing a fully civilian
authority, creating a free climate for politics, and reaching a
final agreement with the widest political participation," Al-Wathiq
al-Barir, a spokesman for the FFC, said.
International partners have said a credible civilian government
needs to be appointed before assistance can be restored.
Talks leading to the framework deal have been facilitated by the
United Nations, the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United
Arab Emirates, among others.
"I hope that this agreement will pave the way for the quick
formation of a civilian government that can tackle the security,
humanitarian and economic situation," the U.N. envoy to Sudan,
Volker Perthes, told the signing ceremony.
(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz, Nafisa Eltahir and Aidan
LewisEditing by Gareth Jones and Andrew Heavens)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
