Representatives of Sudan’s ruling military and pro-democracy groups said early on Saturday that they are postponing the signing of an agreement to allow a civilian-led government to run the country until elections are held.
A statement by the spokesmen for both sides said the delay was necessitated by the failure of both sides to reach a consensus on “some outstanding issues”. It did not elaborate.
A signing ceremony of the deal had been scheduled for Saturday.
The two sides, along with foreign mediators, will meet later on Saturday to set a new date for the signing of the deal, according to the statement.
Sudan has been mired in political and economic chaos since a 2021 military coup derailed its democratic transition following the ouster in 2019 of dictator Omar Al Bashir amid a wave of street protests against his 29-year regime.
The coup was staged by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan and the commander of a powerful paramilitary, Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. The coup was met by a wave of street protests in which more than 125 people were killed and more than 6,000 injured.
Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo are now at sharp odds over how to adopt demands by the pro-democracy movement that the military, security agencies and police undergo significant reform.
The much-heralded deal is designed to build on a preliminary agreement reached in December that provided for the military to step down and quit politics altogether and for the paramilitary force — the Rapid Support Forces — to be fully integrated into the armed forces.
Media reports in recent days have suggested that the proposed RSF integration is the main stumbling block in the negotiations, with the paramilitary proposing a process stretched over 10 years compared to the two years suggested by the army.
Gen Al Burhan has said he would not sign off on an agreement that does not include clear and acceptable language on the RSF integration, complete with a timeline.
Gen Dagalo has spoken of his support for a “single army”, but never unequivocally accepted bringing the RSF under full army command, saying it has to be part of reforms at all state institutions and not diminish the “special status” of his force.
In theory, the RSF has been under the command of the military since 2013 when a law legalised its existence, but the well-armed and combat-seasoned force has been run and operated independently.
It bankrolls and procures its own weapons, hires foreign military advisers and runs its own business interests. It is believed to have 100,000 men. It has deployed across the capital Khartoum since 2019.
The RSF has its roots in a militia that fought on the government’s side during the civil war in the western Darfur region. The militia, known as the Janjaweed, was accused of committing atrocities during that conflict.
MATCH INFO
Alaves 1 (Perez 65' pen)
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 52', Carvajal 69')
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
