Sudan: Thousands gather in Khartoum October 8 following signing of peace agreement

Event

Thousands gathered in Khartoum on Thursday, October 8, as the negotiating delegation arrived back from South Sudan having signed the Juba Peace Agreement on October 3. In a speech at Freedom Square, President of the Sovereignty Council Abdelfattah El Burhan announced that an official ceremony will be organized to celebrate the agreement. The gathering passed off peacefully.

The agreement comes as Sudan is gripped by crippling bread and fuel shortages, and sit-ins and strikes continue across the county due to their weak economy, among other issues. Such action includes an ongoing sit-in in El Borgeig (Northern State), and the threat of Khartoum legal advisers going on strike should their demands fail to be met by October 15.

Related demonstrations are to be anticipated over the near term, and anti-government protests and strikes are likely to continue.

Context

The agreement, signed between Sudan's Transitional Government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front and others, together with the continued efforts in implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) signed in 2018, is viewed as a unique opportunity towards greater stabilization between the two countries and finding a lasting solution for displaced persons.

Advice

Those in Sudan are advised to avoid all large gatherings as a precaution, monitor the situation, and heed all instructions issued by local authorities.