Sudanese Political Factions to Form Transitional Government in April, Reports Say

The nation has been in political crisis since the 2021 military coup, when the armed element of the civilian-military coalition seized power. Since then, the country's political factions have been negotiating a formation of the civilian government. In December 2022, the parties signed a framework agreement.

Sudanese political factions have agreed to establish a new transitional government on 11 April, the media reported on Sunday, citing Khalid Omer Yousif, spokesman for the political process in Sudan.

According to Yousif, the country's military leaders who took full control of the nation in 2021 and civilian political parties decided to speed up the restoration of civilian rule in Sudan at a meeting on Wednesday.

He said that the participants agreed to create a committee for drafting the country's new constitution. The new constitutional document is expected to be a legislative basis for the upcoming transition in Sudan. The committee will include nine representatives of the civilian groups, one from the military and one from the Rapid Support Forces, Sudan's paramilitary government forces.

"The joint technical and coordinated committee that comprises the signatories to the agreement and the trilateral mechanism is expected to draft a new timeframe for the discussion of the remaining issues urgently before signing the final political agreement," the spokesman is quoted as saying.

Yousif also said that the discussions on the two remaining "complex matters, the transitional justice and military and security reforms", will continue within the framework of "the ongoing political conference that should end before the holy month of Ramadan".

Once discussions are over, the committee will start drafting a final political agreement that is expected to lead to the formation of a new civilian government.

It was noted that the factions that take part in the political process for restoration of civilian rule will sign a transitional framework for the agreement and a constitutional declaration at the beginning of the next month.

Last week, the chairman of Sudan's ruling Transitional Sovereign Council, Colonel-General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, confirmed that the country's authorities are working to establish civilian rule and prevent the nation from falling into "authoritarian rule".

On 5 December 2022, Sudan's civil leaders and the armed forces signed a framework agreement that provides for the establishment of a transitional civil administration. The political process was facilitated by a so-called Trilateral Mechanism that includes the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the United Nations.

The agreement aims to put an end to the crisis that erupted on 25 October 2021, when Al-Burhan announced exceptional measures that included dissolving Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok's transitional government and declaring a state of emergency.