Sudanese Government and Rebel Coalition Sign Peace Agreement

The agreement between the Sudan Sovereign Council and a rebel coalition could restore peace for millions of refugees who have fled due to war. [United Nations]

Sudan’s interim ruling body, the Sudan Sovereign Council (SSC), signed a peace agreement with the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), a coalition of rebel groups that opposed former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, on October 3. The deal, which the parties initially agreed on in late August, seeks to resolve decades of violent conflict in the country’s southern and western regions—in which some 300,000 have died. 

The peace agreement will initiate a government-led disarmament campaign to decrease violence across the country. The agreement will also integrate members of the SRF into state security forces.

In return, the SRF will receive greater autonomy in the regions of Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile after the transitional SSC is replaced in democratic elections in 2022. The deal will also invest $7.5 billion over ten years to resettle the large population of internally displaced persons in Sudan. The UN estimates that 2.5 million civilians have fled their homes since the 2003 conflict in Darfur.

Mutzeim Adam, a resident of Blue Nile State, said the peace will create a less hostile environment for Sudanese refugees in neighboring African countries, encouraging them to return to their home country and stimulating “local production that can improve our economy.” The parties signed the agreement in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, which has brokered the talks between rebels and government representatives since August. Notably, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan only nine years ago, following its own conflict with al-Bashir.

“We are happy. We have finished the mission,” said Tut Gatluak, head of the South Sudanese mediating team, about the agreement.

The signing ceremony was also attended by South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and Abdel-Fatah Burnham, the head of the SSC. 

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who participated in negotiations, was skeptical about the longevity of the agreement, as two of Sudan's most prominent rebel groups rejected the agreement: the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Darfur-based Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM).

SPLM-N leader Abdelaziz al-Hilu did not sign onto the agreement because it did not promise to disband al-Bashir’s relict militias or guarantee the establishment of a secular Sudanese government come the 2022 elections. Still, the SPLM-N has started independent negotiations with the transitional government.

SLM, headed by Abdelwahid al-Nour, has not been as cooperative. Al-Nour called the agreement “business as usual,” comparing it to 47 prior peace agreements which “did not address the root causes of the problem.”

Regardless, the current agreement is a step forward for the transitional government, which has prioritized seeking a peace agreement with rebel groups since the military overthrow of al-Bashir in April 2019.

This agreement could facilitate a peaceful transition of power following the 2022 elections. 

“The next biggest challenge is to work with all local and international partners to preach the agreement and its benefits,” said Hamdok.