Sudan’s deputy chairman brushes off Addis Ababa Declaration

December 3, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Deputy Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Malik Agar, dismissed the Addis Ababa Declaration signed between the Coordination of Civilian Democratic Forces (Taqaddum) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), characterizing it as a non-starter due to the alleged alliance between them against the military-led government.

In a press statement on Wednesday, Agar stated, “The recent signing is an agreement between partners, as Taqaddum and the RSF are essentially one body with two faces. There is nothing new or groundbreaking here.”

He labelled the political forces that signed the Addis Ababa Declaration with the paramilitary forces as “the well-known political incubator of the RSF and staunch supporters of their rebellion”.

The Addis Declaration, aimed at halting the ongoing conflict, outlines provisions for protecting civilians and facilitating humanitarian access. It also mandates unconditional direct negotiations between the RSF and the Sudanese army.

The meeting between the civilian forces and the RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” followed letters from the coalition head and former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, expressing a desire to engage with both warring parties to discuss ways to end the war and restore civilian rule in Sudan.

Agar, however, denied any plans for a similar meeting with Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He remarked, “We have no knowledge of any meeting between Taqaddum and the Sudanese government. We are unsure of what Taqaddum even is – is it a political entity? We have no information on this matter.”

He underscored that no request to meet with Taqaddum had been received, stating, “We only heard about it as everyone else did.”

Regarding their stance if a call to meet with Taqaddum were to materialize, Agar declared, “We will cross this bridge when we come to it and decide whether or not to proceed.”

On Wednesday, Hamdok reiterated his call for an urgent meeting with the army leadership to discuss ways to halt the devastating conflict.

Referring to the upcoming meeting between the Sudanese army and RSF commanders in Djibouti, Agar stated that it would focus on implementing the Jeddah Agreement.

He elaborated, that the meeting includes the withdrawal of RSF from occupied cities, residences, and headquarters, followed by subsequent negotiation stages to bring the war to an end.

Agar noted that no new date has been set for the Djibouti meeting after the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) officially cancelled the previously scheduled meeting for the end of last month.

“We have made our conditions clear and stated upfront that there will be no negotiations without the immediate withdrawal of the RSF from homes, institutions, and cities, including Wad Madani and the cities they occupy in Darfur,” he emphasized.

Agar concluded by stating, “If this happens, there will be a second, third, and fourth stage. We still have time to stop the war and time to end it.”

(ST)