Disagreement between Sudan’s military and a paramilitary group has again delayed the planned signing of a deal with politicians to restore the country’s democratic transition, civilian representatives said.
A coup in October 2021 led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had derailed the transition to civilian-led rule that began following the 2019 ouster of long-ruling general Omar al-Bashir.
Security reforms are a key point of contention in negotiations held over the past weeks aimed at building on a preliminary accord reached in December to install a civilian government.
The signing ceremony scheduled for Thursday has been pushed back again "due to a resumption of talks between soldiers... on April 1 and 6", according to a statement by the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), a civilian bloc.
They said progress had been made on several points but one final question remained, after the ceremony was also delayed last week.
The most contentious issue is the integration of the Rapid Support Force into the military. The force, led by powerful Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, grew out of former Janjaweed militias that carried out a crackdown in Darfur over the past two decades.
Tight security on streets
The FFC also called for peaceful nationwide protests on Thursday for "freedom, peace and justice" and against the return of "the old regime", after several high-ranking officials from the Bashir era found roles in the current administration.
In anticipation of the demonstrations, the authorities declared April 6 a non-working day. Witnesses said a large military presence was visible in parts of the capital Khartoum and its suburbs, blocking bridges over the River Nile.
April 6 is a symbolic date for Sudan's civilian movement, marking the anniversary of uprisings in 1985 and 2019 that ended up ousting two leaders who had seized power in coups.
The December deal, reached after near-weekly and deadly protests since the 2021 coup, calls for the military's exit from politics once a civilian government is installed.
The worsening state of Sudan's economy has put pressure on all sides to reach a deal, which is a precondition for the resumption of international aid to the impoverished country.
Political parties would form a civilian administration to lead the chaos-stricken nation through elections in two years. They are to name a prime minister who would form a Cabinet and chair the Defence and Security Council, which decides on security issues.
The second postponement also came as Sudan braced for anti-coup demonstrations called by protest groups for Thursday. That is the anniversary of the overthrow of President Jaafar al-Nimeiri in a bloodless coup in 1985 after a popular uprising against his repressive rule.
Authorities ordered tight security measures in the capital ahead of the protests, with the military bolstering its presence in Khartoum over the past few days.
Witnesses say armored vehicles were parked at most intersections near the Presidential Palace, and trucks belonging to both the army and the Rapid Support Force were seen patrolling downtown after sunset Wednesday.
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