Sudan delays signing of deal to usher in civilian government

Sudan’s military leaders and pro-democracy forces will delay the signing of an agreement to usher in a civilian government, both sides said in a joint statement issued on April 1.

Sudan's military leaders and pro-democracy forces will delay the signing of an agreement to usher in a civilian government, both sides said in a joint statement issued on April 1.

The postponement of the signing — which had been scheduled for later Saturday — comes as key security reform negotiations between the Sudanese Army and the country's powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces appear to have reached a deadlock.

A meeting will be held on Saturday “to set a new date for signing the final political agreement, which could not be signed on time due to the lack of consensus on some outstanding issues," the statement said.

Sudan has been mired in chaos after a military coup, led by the country's top Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, removed a Western-backed power-sharing government in October 2021, upending the country's short-lived transition to democracy.

But last December, the military, the RSF and numerous pro-democracy groups signed a preliminary deal vowing to restore the transition.

In recent months, internationally brokered workshops in Khartoum have sought to find common ground over the country's thorniest political issues in the hope of signing a more inclusive final agreement.