Agreement is "Significant Step for Lasting Peace," but Experts at The Sentry Warn of "Weaponization" of Religion in Country's Politics
August 31, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) - Today, Sudan's Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok signed a comprehensive agreement with The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), a coalition of rebel groups from the western region of Darfur and the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The ceremony took place in Juba in the presence of South Sudan President Salva Kiir, whose country hosted and mediated the talks.
Suliman Baldo, Senior Advisor at The Sentry, said: "The signed agreement today is a significant step forward for achieving lasting peace in Sudan, but peace will remain far from comprehensive until the reasons that motivated the boycott of non-signatories are satisfactorily addressed. The agreement doesn't offer a clear separation of state and religion as demanded by SPLM-AL-Hilu and many Sudanese who denounce the weaponization of religion in Sudanese politics. Many in Sudan are also apprehensive about the armed movement's insistence on an over-representation in government positions, which is delaying the transition to democracy."
The Darfur movement led by Abdel-Wahid Nur and the main faction of the SPLM led by Abdel-Aziz Al-Hilu were not party to the agreement, but the latter said it does not object to the Juba process, leaving the door open to further negotiations. The agreement went a long way in addressing the root causes of conflicts in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile states and charted a path to devolution of power to Sudan's peripheral regions and more equitable distribution of the national wealth and political representation among Sudan diverse regions.
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The Sentry is an investigative and policy team that follows the dirty money connected to African war criminals and transnational war profiteers and seeks to shut those benefiting from violence out of the international financial system. By disrupting the cost-benefit calculations of those who hijack governments for self-enrichment in East and Central Africa, the deadliest war zone globally since World War II, we seek to counter the main drivers of conflict and create new leverage for peace, human rights, and good governance. The Sentry is composed of financial investigators, international human rights lawyers, and regional experts, as well as former law enforcement agents, intelligence officers, policymakers, investigative journalists, and banking professionals. Co-founded by George Clooney and John Prendergast, The Sentry is a flagship initiative and strategic partner of the Clooney Foundation for Justice.
Learn more at https://thesentry.org/.
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