February 5, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese army general on Sunday cast doubt on the capacity of the framework agreement to end the political crisis, saying the signatories did not constitute a sufficient majority to solve the country’s problems.
In a speech in Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan state, General Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of the Sovereign Council, vilified the framework agreement signed on December 5, 2022, which provides to restore a transitional civilian government.
He said that the signatories to the framework agreement from the political forces “frankly” do not constitute a sufficient majority to solve the political crisis in Sudan.
Al-Kabbashi’s remarks come two days after similar statements by the head of the Sovereign Council, General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, in which he said that the army does not want to proceed with the framework agreement with one side referring to the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC).
He hinted at the possible army’s disengagement from the framework agreement.
“There are circumstances that led the armed forces to be part of the dialogue, but they will not move forward with it if other reasonable and acceptable forces do not join it,” he said.
“Because, at the end of the day, the armed forces will be responsible for protecting the solution that will come out of the framework agreement. So don’t come up with an incomplete constitution signed by 10 people and then ask me to protect it,” he asserted.
However, he was quick to add that “We will not go ahead with this agreement and we will not count on it, but if politicians see it as enough to end the crisis, let them go ahead with it. We will support him,” he hypothetically added.
On Saturday, al-Burhan reaffirmed his commitment to the framework agreement that he signed with other political forces after having criticizing it on Friday.
The reversal of the army’s position from the framework agreement coincides with a meeting that Egypt organizes in Cairo gathering the groups of the Democratic Bloc coalition and other groups. The FFC reject their participation in the process saying they are counter-revolutionary forces that would obstruct democratic reforms.
However, they say willing to accept two former rebel groups, signatory of the Juba peace agreement. But, the latter refuse the control of the political process by the FFC which they accuse of seeking to eject them out of the transitional government and cancel the peace agreement.
Further, there are some revolution forces that reject the framework agreement such as the Sudanese Communist Party and the Arab Baath Party saying the military should not take part in the process.
(ST)
