Civil Front to Stop the War and Restore Democracy in Sudan concludes Addis meetings, contacts SLM-AW

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: The following report, written in Arabic, was sent to me today by a Sudanese man living and working in England, UK. As he is keen to see peace in Sudan I have used Google translate to document the report here in English. A report by Sudan Tribune, also copied here below, explains who is behind the 'Civil Front'. It is heartening to see former Prime Minister Hamdok's name cited in the Sudan Tribune's report. 

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Report from Al Taghyeer -  altaghyeer.info/en/
Dated 20 September 2023 - here is a full copy (using Google translate):

Civil Front concludes Addis meetings and takes steps to stop war in Sudan

The components of the Civil Front to Stop the War and Restore Democracy in Sudan agreed on the importance of strengthening the efforts of all forces calling for stopping the war and restoring democracy, and the need to coordinate between them as soon as possible.

Khartoum: Change

The Civil Front to Stop the War and Restore Democracy in Sudan concluded meetings of the Coordination and Communication Authority held on September 17 and 18 in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and issued a final statement on the deliberations and decisions.

According to the statement issued on Tuesday, the meeting stressed the need to redouble efforts to confront the plans of the remnants of the former regime calling for the continuation of the war, and discussed the importance of strengthening the efforts of all forces calling for stopping the war and restoring democracy and the need to coordinate between them as soon as possible.

He announced the formation of a committee to communicate with all democratic civil forces to accelerate these efforts, and the meeting adhered to the political vision of the components of the Civil Front.

"Change" publishes the text of the final statement:

Civil Front to Stop the War and Restore Democracy

Final communiqué of the meetings of the Coordination and Communication Authority

The meetings of the Coordination and Liaison Committee of the Civil Front to Stop the War and Restore Democracy, which lasted for two days (September 17 and 18), concluded in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, these meetings discussed the poor humanitarian situation caused by the war, and the political efforts exerted to work to stop it by building the broadest civil front of democratic forces opposed to it.

At the outset, the Civil Front paid tribute to those who lost their lives in this war, and expressed its full solidarity with the injured, displaced and refugee victims.

It declared its full condemnation of the gross violations of human rights, which varied between killings, occupation of homes and hospitals, looting of property, arrests, kidnappings, rape and many heinous crimes committed by the Rapid Support Forces, as well as all violations of killing, aerial bombardment of civilians and arbitrary arrests by the armed forces, and called for a transparent investigation and accountability for all those involved.

The participants stressed the need to redouble efforts to confront the plans of the remnants of the former regime who call for the continuation of this war, use it to demonize the revolution and liquidate its forces, and spread hate speech and ethnic and regional division.

They also discussed the importance of strengthening the efforts made by all civil forces calling for stopping the war and restoring democracy, and stressed the need for coordination between them as soon as possible, and a committee was formed from all categories of the front to communicate with all civil democratic forces to accelerate these efforts and reach the widest civil front that works to end the war, and rebuild the state on the basis of the principles, values and goals of the glorious December revolution.

The meeting adhered to the political vision of the components of the Civil Front, which was contained in the founding statement of the Front on the twenty-seventh of last April, and work to develop it with the rest of the civil democratic forces in response to the new reality produced by the fifteenth of April war and its repercussions.

They agreed to establish a national mechanism for reparations and compensation, including the relevant authorities, to account for all the damage caused by the war, and stressed that any political solution to end it must not fall under the principle of fair and equitable compensation for all those who have been harmed and harmed by this damned war.

They also appreciated the efforts of humanitarian aid workers from local, regional and international institutions and organizations, especially the emergency rooms in Khartoum State and all cities and regions of Sudan, who work in very complex conditions, stressing the need to ensure the delivery of aid to those who deserve it.

In conclusion, it was agreed to activate the organizational, media and humanitarian work to achieve the goals of the interim and future front.

Coordination and Communication Authority

19 September 2023

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

View original: https://www.altaghyeer.info/ar/2023/09/19/الجبهة-المدنية-تختتم-اجتماعات-أديس/

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Related report

From Sudan Tribune.com

Dated Thursday, 13 October 2023 - here is a full copy:

Sudanese anti-war civilian forces reach out to Darfur holdout group

Image: FFC leaders meet Ugandan president on July 3, 2023

October 13, 2023 (ADDIS ABABA) – A prominent leader of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) revealed that the Civil Front to Stop the War and Restore Democracy forces have been in contact with the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Nur (SLM-AW) to join this collective effort.

Since July of this year, political forces, civil society groups, and some armed movements that are parties to the Juba peace agreement have been engaged in discussions to establish a broad civil coalition. The purpose of this coalition is to exert pressure on the warring factions to cease hostilities and revive the path toward democratic transition.

Nur al-Din Babikir, a member of the FFC leadership and spokesman for the Sudanese Congress Party, told Sudan Tribune that there is coordination between the Front, the SLM-AW, the initiatives led by former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and former Sudanese ambassador to the United States Nur al-Din Satti. He added that the purpose of these consultations is to convene a founding conference for the Civil Front.

Babikir stated that the conference’s agenda is centred on halting the conflict by forming a coalition capable of compelling both sides involved in the conflict to cease hostilities. Subsequently, this would pave the way for a political process to restore the civilian-led democratic transition through an agreed project.

He further confirmed that the FFC also consults with IGAD, neighbouring countries, and other regional actors to unify their initiatives. He stressed that these efforts have made some progress towards achieving a ceasefire despite the lack of commitment from both parties.

Also, he announced that the United States and Saudi Arabia are holding consultations to resume the Jeddah process to end the war in the near future, starting with the cessation of hostilities, the establishment of humanitarian corridors to provide aid to the war-afflicted civilians, and a subsequent political process that ends the war.

He pointed out that the Front includes many Sudanese figures representing various bodies, the FFC, and nine coordination committees for Resistance Committees, civil society initiatives, and armed groups.

The SLM-AW rejects the Juba Peace Agreement and refuses to participate in any peace process to end the war in Darfur. In return, the Movement calls for a national conference to discuss issues of identity, wealth distribution, and justice and social justice in the country.

It’s worth noting that the SLM-AW has rejected the Juba Peace Agreement and remains unwilling to participate in any peace process to end the conflict in Darfur. Instead, the group calls for a national conference to address matters related to identity, wealth distribution, justice, and social justice within the country.

The FFC-initiated civilian front has not announced any contact with the Democratic Bloc groups, which includes the SLM led by Minni Minnawi and the Justice and Equality Movement of Gibril Ibrahim.

A severe conflict has been ongoing between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces since April 15 of this year. This has been accompanied by grave violations against civilians, including killings, sexual violence, arrests, forced displacement, and military airstrikes. (ST)

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article278299/

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South Sudan’s Kiir in talks with SPLM-N over attacks in Sudan's South Kordofan and Blue Nile states

Report from Sudan Tribune - sudantribune.com
Published on Thursday 20 July 2023 - here is a full copy:

Sudan’s Kiir in talks with SPLM-N over South Kordofan attacks

July 20, 2023 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir is in talks with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) leaders following reports of resumption of hostilities in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, an aide said.

The presidential advisor on national security, Tut Gatluak Manime told Sudan Tribune on Thursday that Kiir discussed with SPLM-N leaders prospects for peace and the need to cease military hostilities in the two areas and the whole of Sudan.

“The president has been engaging different leaders who participated and signed the Juba Peace agreement, including those who did not sign it to update them on his regional activities and his efforts to solicit their views on the comprehensive approach following his participation in the recent summit of the heads of state and government from countries sharing direct borders with Sudan”, he explained.

A supporter of the SPLM-N faction led by Abdel Aziz Adam Al-Hilu claimed they do not attack territories held by Sudan armed forces, but are trying to provide protection to areas under their control to avoid what happens in Darfur, where civilians and civil settlements as used shields by armed groups fighting each other.

“The SPLM-N is the people’s movement and it has the right and responsibilities to protect lives and properties of the people under its control. This is what is happening in South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas.  As far as I know, the SPLA-N gallant forces do not carry out attacks. They don’t attack government-held territories, they are protecting our own legitimate territory”, the supporter who preferred anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the matter, told Sudan Tribune.

The SPLM-N and the Sudanese government had previously signed an agreement to halt hostilities, allowing humanitarian aid access to the region from Sudanese territory and enabling people’s movement to and from SPLM-controlled areas.

Since July 15, the SPLA-N led by al-Hilu resumed military operations in areas neighbouring the cities of Dilling and Kadugli, amid calls for cessation of hostilities.

On Wednesday, South Sudanese government expressed deep regret over the recent resumption of the SPLM-N attacks in the South Kordofan state of Sudan, raising concerns about potential repercussions on the stability of the region.

In an interview with Sudan Tribune, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation minister, Deng Dau Malek said he was dismayed over the renewed hostilities in the two areas, calling on “all parties concerned” to immediately halt military operations and focus on maintaining peace, security and stability of the region.

The SPLM-N, which has been fighting the government in the South Kordofan and the Blue Nile states, also known as Two Areas, since June 2011, split in 2017 into two factions, one is led by Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu and the other is led by Malik Agar.

The split within the rebel movement was a result of differences over a number of organisational matters as well as the position to adopt in the peace talks.

Al-Hilu who was the deputy chairman blamed the negotiating team led by Yasir Arman for ignoring the demand of the Nuba Mountains for self-determination.

However, during the last round of talks in February 2018, the government of Sudan and al-Hilu faction of SPLM-N failed to reach a cessation of hostilities agreement.

In 2020, the SPLM-N signed a Declaration of Principles (DoP) with the Sudanese government. The DoP affirmed the need to recognize and accommodate the different racial, ethnic, religious and cultural diversities in the country. (ST) 

Image: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (Getty)

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article275310/

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Chad's Deby met Sudan's Finance Minister JEM leader Ibrahim. JEM leaders secretly met RSF commander

Note, the leader of Darfur rebel group JEM, Gibril Ibrahim, is Sudan's Minister of Finance. He was appointed to the post by Sudanese Prime Minister Hamdok in a cabinet reshuffle 8 February 2021. Read more.

Report from Sudan Tribune - sudantribune.com
Published Monday 17 July 2023 - here is a full copy:

JEM faces internal rift as leaders engage with RSF commander

July 17, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) is confronted with an internal crisis as three senior members are found to have secretly held a meeting with the Second Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Abdel Rahim Daglo.

JEM leader Gibril Ibrahim refuted claims in a statement last week, denying any meeting with Daglo in the Chadian capital during a recent trip to N’djamena. He affirmed that his sole meeting was with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby on July 8.

While JEM asserts its neutrality in the war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary forces, reports have resurfaced suggesting that Daglo had met with JEM leadership members in Chad. The purpose of the meeting was reportedly to discuss the RSF’s political future within the ongoing efforts to end the war, hold an inclusive dialogue, and explore possibilities for cooperation between the two armed groups.

In response to these reports, JEM indirectly acknowledged the meeting by issuing a second statement, on Sunday stating that the leadership members who met the RSF second-in-command in N’djamena acted in their personal capacity without any mandate from the group.

On Monday, a prominent JEM leader disclosed to the Sudan Tribune that the movement’s leader intends to take punitive measures against the senior officials who secretly met with Daglo in Chad.

“Gibril Ibrahim plans to impose severe penalties on the leaders who clandestinely met Daglo in N’Djamena,” said the senior official, who is not authorized to speak to the media.

The official revealed that Ibrahim personally spoke with JEM’s political secretary, Suleiman Sandal, and its chief negotiator and peace implementation secretary, Ahmed Tugud, to inquire about the reasons behind their meeting with the RSF second-in-command.

The source emphasized that the unauthorized meeting has angered the JEM leadership, particularly as it contradicts the movement’s stance of neutrality in the conflict between the army and the paramilitary forces.

“These leaders have chosen a path that contradicts the movement’s vision. Ongoing meetings are being held with them to clarify their positions, and strict sanctions are expected to be imposed against them in the coming days,” the source stated.

Last week, the leaders of the Darfur groups that signed the Juba peace agreement held discussions with the Chadian president to address the urgent need for protecting civilians in Darfur and stemming the flow of refugees to Chad.

In light of the reported killing of hundreds of civilians in West and Central Darfur states by the RSF and allied militiamen, the signatory groups also convened in N’djamena and agreed to strengthen the joint force.

Following the outbreak of war, the Darfur armed groups formed a joint force to safeguard civilians, but its role has remained limited to the North Darfur capital. The force is mainly escorting humanitarian and commercial convoys to or  in the western Sudan region.

(ST)

View original:  https://sudantribune.com/article275238/

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Related report

Darfur24 -Tuesday 18 July 2023

JEM chairman vows to punish senior movement officials

[...] On the 5th of July, several leading members of the struggle movements, including chairman of Sudan liberation Movements Minnawi, Altahir Hajar and Alhadi Idriss held talks with senior Chadian government officials on the situation in Sudan in general and Darfur in particular and the possibility of delivering humanitarian aid to Darfur region.

https://www.darfur24.com/en/2023/07/18/jem-chairman-vows-to-punish-senior-movement-officials/

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