Leaders welcome Sudan deal to end political crisis

Leaders and experts from across the globe have warmly welcomed the signing of the framework deal by Sudan's military and civilian leaders to end the political crisis since a state of emergency was declared more than one year ago.

The leaders hoped the agreement, which was signed in the capital Khartoum on Monday following months of negotiations, will pave the way for the swift formation of a civilian government, which would consequently address the country's political, security, humanitarian and economic challenges.

Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Army, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commander of the Rapid Support Forces, signed the deal on Monday on behalf of the military forces. Representatives of the Forces of Freedom and Change Alliance, Sudan Revolutionary Front, other political organizations, workers' unions and civil society organizations signed the pact on behalf of the political forces.

The deal indicated that the parties, which signed the political declaration, are to select, through consultation, a limited civil sovereign council to represent the head of the state and be the symbol of sovereignty.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis since Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency on Oct 25 and dissolved the sovereign council and the government. Since then, the country had been rocked by regular street protests, which called for the return of civilian rule.

Following the signing of the agreement, Volker Perthes, the United Nations' special representative for Sudan, applauded the signatories for their courageous steps in reaching necessary and often difficult compromises.

Perthes called on the transitional authorities to respect and protect the rights and freedoms of all Sudanese regardless of their ethnic, religious or political background.

He said the next phase will require broad-based consultations with all key stakeholders, including the youth, women, families of martyrs, civil and native society organizations, along with political parties and military institutions.

This is in addition to continued efforts to reach out to key political forces that have not signed onto the framework agreement.

In a joint statement, the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development warmly welcomed the signing of the agreement.

They termed the agreement as a critical first step toward the restoration of a sustainable transitional period and the formation of a credible civil, democratic and accountable government.

They called on the international donor community to fully resume its financial support once a functioning government is in place.

Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the agreement is an important and pivotal step to lay down the principles related to ruling structures in Sudan.

Full support voiced

The country expressed full support for the agreement and its readiness to cooperate with different parties in Sudan to reach a final agreement that achieves the aspirations of the Sudanese and promotes their role in supporting peace and stability in the region and Africa.

Turkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed hope that the agreement will be implemented in a way that would meet the expectations of the Sudanese people and would include all segments.

"We attach importance to the establishment of peace, prosperity and stability in Sudan. Turkiye will continue to stand by Sudan and brotherly Sudanese people in the period ahead," the ministry said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the deal and called on relevant parties to work without delay on the next phase of the transition process and address outstanding issues to achieve a lasting, inclusive political settlement.

In a joint statement, Norway, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States termed the deal as the key to unlocking the resumption of international assistance and deeper cooperation between the government of Sudan and international partners.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

edithmutethya@chinadaily.com.cn