UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- UN Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo on Friday welcomed the recent positive developments in Sudan, and warned of tough tasks ahead.
Sudan's political transition continues to move in the right direction. In recent weeks, important legislative reforms were adopted to improve fundamental rights. Interim civilian governors were appointed in all 18 states, including two women, she told the Security Council in a briefing.
The most significant political development was the initialing, on Aug. 31 in Juba, of the peace agreement between the transitional government of Sudan, the Sudan Revolutionary Front alliance and the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minnawi faction, she said.
Furthermore, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and the Abdelaziz al-Hilu faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North signed "The Agreement on Principles" in Addis Ababa on Sept. 3, she added.
All participating parties should be commended for having persevered with the peace process amid the range of other pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who are absent from the ongoing peace efforts in the country should be encouraged to engage in dialogue and negotiations with the transitional authorities. It is not too late, said DiCarlo.
However, she warned that there are many challenges on the road ahead.
The various accords and respective peace agreements on regional issues must be molded into a single, coherent framework. Additionally, the parties and the government must form a joint vision on the way forward and to uphold their respective commitments, she said.
At a time when all governments face major economic constraints, it will be important to set realistic expectations of what can be provided to finance peace dividends. Participants in the Berlin Partnership Conference were generous in their support to Sudan's transition but signaled that the impact of COVID-19 had reduced donor capacity, she noted. Enditem
