Transition Make-or-Break for a Modern, Stable Sudan

Sudan stands today on the threshold of a new phase of its arduous transition to democracy with the imminent signing of a Framework Political Agreement between the October 2021 junta and the political opposition led by Forces of Freedom and Change-Central Committee (FFC-CC).

In a brief published this week via the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker (STPT), prominent influencer Dr El Shafei Khidir Said calls - at this critical juncture - on civilian and military political forces "to treat the next phase of the transition as a make-or-break period on which the hope for a modern, stable state is riding".

Meanwhile, rights group Human Rights Watch has said that Sudan's political players and international partners, should ensure that progress on human rights and accountability for serious human rights violations are central to any new transition, today. This includes an end to the violent crackdown against peaceful protesters, releasing arbitrarily-detained protesters, and taking concrete steps to ensure accountability for serious abuses.

This comes as The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors reported that 43 protesters were wounded during anti-framework-agreement demonstrations in Khartoum on December 12, 2022. One protester reportedly sustained a skull fracture, allegedly after government forces shot tear gas canisters into crowds in at least two areas of Khartoum.