Juba, South Sudan,
29 May 2021 – Darfur armed groups signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement have accused the Sudan Transitional Government of employing tactics and doing very little in implementing security arrangements.
Five groups have yesterday issued a joint statement blaming what they called delay tactic from the military component of the Sudanese government not to expedite peace implementation, especially security arrangements.
The armed movements stated in a statement seen by Nyamilepedia that after the signing of the peace agreement on 3 October 2020, the military component had not taken a single step to implement the security arrangements with the aim of continuing to monopolize the military and security authority.
They believe that the military component is creating other movements with the aim of complicating the military scene and sabotaging the peace process.
In their joint statement, the armed groups refuted and dubbed all excuses using by military components to sabotage security arrangements such as lack of funds as a nonsensical and incorrect scapegoat.
The text was signed by the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM), the Justice and Equality Movement, the Sudanese Alliance, the Sudan Liberation Forces Alliance, and the Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council (SLM-TC).
Yasser Arman, Deputy Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Malik Agar, accused the Military Intelligence Service of working to create new armed groups and supporting them with money to undermine the signatory groups and divert them from the implementation of the peace agreement.
One of the members within the Sovereign Council, Al-Hadi Idris, leader of the Sudan Revolutionary Front and SLM-TC earlier this year cautioned against the delay in the implementation of the security arrangements. He said that former rebel fighters left their cantonment sites and use their weapons for looting civilians’ properties.
Muhammad Zakaria, Rapporteur of the SRF leadership said that the statement expresses “legitimate concern” about the delay in the enforcement of the security arrangements which are the backbone for the implementation of the rest of the peace agreement’s provisions.
Director of Military Information, Al-Tahir Abuhaja, denied these accusations, saying that it was not useful to discuss the implementation of security arrangements through the media and press statements.
Abujaja said that the army has nothing to do with the implementation of the security arrangements.
He added that in accordance with the peace agreement there are special committees including the armed groups tasked with its implementation.
“These committees are working under the supervision of the Minister of Defense, in addition to a higher committee to follow up the implementation of the agreement that includes the leaders of the movements,” said Abujaja.
The committees have already developed a matrix for its implementation and discussed the delay of the security arrangements implementation. They have concurred that the cause for the delay is the economic hardship in Sudan and it is not easy to provide the required funds.
