Sudan: Political faction condemns moves to form new govt without consensus

An influential Sudanese political faction condemned Monday (Mar.20) the plan by the country’s military and the main pro-democracy forces to establish a transitional government despite lack of consensus.

The timeline unveiled Sunday (Mar. 19) plans that a new civilian-led government will be formed next month

"We at the Democratic Block did not sign the framework agreement, we are not accepting it, we reject it," Ali Askoury, the chairman of the Democratic Alliance for Social Justice said to reporter.

"We do not accept the lawyers draft, we have our point of view on the dates that we weren’t consulted on. It is not accepted by us. I think any group forming an authority without an agreement with the other political powers will lead the country into darkness.

The faction known as the Democratic Block, includes Sudan’s finance minister, Jibreel Ibrahim, and the Governor of Darfur, Minni Minnawi, among numerous other smaller political figures and parties.

The controversial framework agreement was signed on early December under international pressure.  

The deal pledged to establish a civilian-led transitional government to lead the country to elections.

Despite thorny issues that remain unresolved, supporters of the agreement welcomed a move offering a path forward in the wake of Sudan's stalled transition to democracy following the October 2021 coup.