Sudanese cabinet to meet on tense political situation
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - Sudan's council of ministers is expected to hold an emergency meeting on Monday as the tense political atmosphere highlighted by numerous feuds continues.
The official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported that the council of ministers Chaired by the Prime Minister, Dr. Abdallah Hamdouk, will hold an emergency on Monday "to discuss the current situation in the country".
PANA has reported that two years after toppling President Omar Bashir, Sudanese military and civilian wings in government, are still unable to blend with each other within a national interim government that has a mandate to lead the country to a free and fair election and full-fledged civilian democracy.
According to PANA analysis, numerous feuds are eclipsing the vision about what is hoped would lead the country to general elections in 2023.
The crisis-plagued government announced on 21 September that it had thwarted a coup attempt.
Last Friday, Prime Minister Hamdouk acknowledged that his government was facing “serious crises” and that efforts had to be doubled to bring the government back on track.
And on Saturday hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum to protest against government's failure to fully implement programmes it agreed to initiate two years ago or undertake a reshuffle.
The demonstrators said those who came out in the streets were followers of numerous political forces that were not strongly represented in the government that was formed after the end of the 30- year-old rule of Omar Bashir (1989-2018).
Supporters of the parties and former rebel groups participated in the demonstrations in front of the Republican Palace, along with native administration leaders and members, Sufi religious sects and representatives of tribal groups.
But government supporters belittled the gathering, particularly in social media, where the government has strong backing.
The Prime Minister has already proposed a roadmap consisting of “widening the basis of the government”.
Last week, the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman underscored the importance of the Sudanese Cabinet and the Sovereign Council adhering to the transitional order as established in the 2019 Constitutional Declaration and the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement.
The Special Envoy reiterated that all the components of the transition, including the members of the Sovereign Council, the Cabinet, and the Forces of Freedom and Change, should avoid brinkmanship and mutual recrimination, and instead work together to resolve any areas of contention through dialogue without preconditions.
The Council of Ministers in a statement issued earlier this month on the occasion of the first anniversary for the signing of the Juba agreement acknowledged the problems facing the country.
It said the transitional government was aware of the serious difficulties and challenges that would face the march of transforming the Juba agreement into a reality and implementing it on the ground and the work required to complete the remaining stages.
The Council of Ministers pointed out that the transitional government had placed the issue of achieving peace as its first priority since its first day, and has responded to all initiatives in this regard.
The statement emphasised that the goal of comprehensive peace is irreversible and that the government will exert every possible effort to achieve it.
-0- PANA MA 18Oct2021
