Khartoum — The National Consensus Forces (NCF) reject movements towards a political settlement, following a number of meetings between Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council and the tripartite mechanism.
On Tuesday, the tripartite mechanism met with the Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council, Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, after he announced that the political scene will witness a "breakthrough" in the coming days.
The meeting took place after the tripartite mechanism held a meeting with Sudan's Vice President of the Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lt Gen Mohamed 'Hemeti' Dagalo on Monday.
El Burhan meeting
According to the tripartite mechanism, which is composed of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission (UNITAMS), African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the aim of the meeting with El Burhan was to discuss "the rapid developments in the Sudanese political arena and the prospects of a solution to the current political crisis."
The official spokesman for the tripartite mechanism, Ambassador Mohamed Belish, said in a press statement yesterday that the meeting was "frank," and characterised by a "sincere will to rush a political settlement that would be engineered by the Sudanese on the basis of the broadest possible consensus."
"Sudan desperately needs a breakthrough, and dialogue is inevitable if we want to secure the desired democratic transition and build a new Sudan," he added.
Hemeti meeting
The meeting took place after the tripartite mechanism held a meeting with Sudan's Vice President of the Sovereignty Council and Commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Lt Gen Mohamed 'Hemeti' Dagalo on Monday.
"We see that we are getting closer and closer to a satisfactory settlement for all parties to the political process," said Mohammed Belish after the meeting on Monday, without disclosing any details of the settlement.
NCF rejection
The NCF, an alliance of progressive political parties, said that the settlement project that is now underway between the two parties aims to save the coup from an imminent fall, rather than what the tripartite mechanism promised regarding a satisfactory settlement for all parties involved in negotiations.
Engineer Adel Khalafallah, a leader of the NCF, announced the categorical rejection of any settlement with the coup in an interview with the Sudan Today programme on Radio Dabanga.
He reiterated that the NCF aims to overthrow the coup and bring about a democratic transition in Sudan.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He pointed out that the settlement project historically relies on a civilian component that does not contradict the coup authority, along with regional and international forces, with the aim of expanding participation in order to save the coup.
Engineer Adel Khalafallah called for the unification of the political, social and professional forces of the revolution and all the sincere forces in their adherence to the democratic option. He stressed the building of a broad front leading to the political strike and civil disobedience to overthrow the coup.
Background
Hemeti stated in a briefing on September 17 that he is committed to his previous pledge to remove the military institution from Sudan's political scene. He added that he would ensure that the military will "devote its efforts to the tasks stipulated in the constitution and the law".
Following a meeting with Hemeti on September 22, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament stressed that the EU stands "at the same distance from all parties" and welcomed the army's decision to withdraw from Sudan's political scene.
In Sudan, there is plenty of sceptisism around the military's announced 'withdrawal'. The National Accord Forces (NAF), and the Sudan People's Call initiative signed a political declaration on Saturday, which proposed a Supreme Council of the Armed Forces including involving coup leaders in the formation of a new cabinet.
