Pompeo welcomes “historic” peace deal between Sudan transitional gov’t and five rebel groups
The Unites States has welcomed a peace agreement signed between Sudan’s transitional government and five rebel groups as the country continues its search for lasting peace.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed the deal as “historic”, saying the country’s leadership had informed him the deal would happen.
“We welcome the news that Sudan’s civilian-led Transitional government initiated a historic peace agreement with several opposition groups. That’s good news. They suggested it to me when I was visiting them that would likely occur. Good on them,” he said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
.@SecPompeo welcomes Sudan's civilian-led transitional government's initiation of a historic peace agreement with several opposition groups. pic.twitter.com/iZNTnpL4lj
— Department of State (@StateDept) September 2, 2020
According to Reuters, the opposition groups that signed the peace agreement include the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and Minni Minawi’s Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), both of the western region of Darfur, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) led by Malik Agar, present in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
The agreement covers issues including security, land ownership, transitional justice, power-sharing and the return of people who fled their homes due to war.
Sudan’s Darfur region has been dogged by conflict for 17 years, killing hundreds of thousand and displacing millions others.
The deal has also been welcomed by the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said it “marks the start of a new era for the people of the Sudan and for people living in Darfur and the Two Areas, in particular.”
