Members of the Quad and Troika (Norway, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States) welcomed the agreement of an initial political framework. In a statement it said, "This is an essential first step toward establishing a civilian-led government and defining constitutional arrangements to guide Sudan through a transitional period culminating in elections. We commend the parties' efforts to garner support for this framework agreement from a broad range of Sudanese actors and their call for continued, inclusive dialogue on all issues of concern and cooperation to build the future of Sudan. We urge all Sudanese actors to engage in this dialogue urgently and in good faith. We acknowledge the military has made clear it is ready to step back from politics and engage constructively in the ongoing dialogue. We call on all parties to put Sudan's national interest above narrow political ends. We also fully support the UNITAMS-AU-IGAD (the Tripartite Mechanism) role in facilitating these negotiations and call on all parties to do the same. Quad and Troika members support this Sudanese-led process and condemn spoilers attempting to restrict political space and undermine Sudan's stability and democratic transition. A concerted effort to finalize negotiations and reach agreement quickly to form a new civilian-led government is essential to address Sudan's urgent political, economic, security, and humanitarian challenges. This is the key to unlocking the resumption of international development assistance and deeper cooperation between the government of Sudan and international partners. We are working with partners to coordinate significant economic support to a civilian-led transitional government to help address the challenges facing the people of Sudan." Also Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the European Union, as members of the Friends of Sudan, welcomed the signature of a framework agreement by a broad representation of political forces and the military component. This framework agreement outlines the structures for a return to a civilian-led transition towards democracy and the military's commitment to withdraw from politics. The Friends of Sudan commended the signatories for the effort and compromise necessary to reach this initial agreement and urge all Sudanese stakeholders to continue their efforts to conclude a final political agreement and establish a credible civilian-led government as soon as possible. It also commended the role of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) ("the Trilateral Mechanism") in their facilitation efforts to overcome the current political crisis in Sudan. They called on the Trilateral Mechanism to continue to support Sudanese stakeholders in the next phase of the consultations by fostering broad-based consultations and dialogue between parties to lay the groundwork for a final agreement and to address critical issues that the signatories of the political agreement agreed to further discuss: Security Sector Reform, Transitional Justice, the Juba Peace Agreement, the Dismantling Committee, the East and the economy. The Friends of Sudan recalled that the success of the ongoing political dialogue lies in the creation of an enabling environment that includes the release of detainees, supports freedom of expression, respects the right of peaceful assembly free from violence as well as strengthens the participation of women and youth. They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the political transition and the realization of the aspirations of the Sudanese people for freedom, peace, justice, and prosperity. They look forward to resuming strategic cooperation and support upon the establishment of a new civilian-led government. In Cairo, the Arab League and the Arab Parliament too welcomed the signing of the framework agreement. Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed the signing of the framework political agreement in Sudan as a step towards achieving the desired national reconciliation. He stressed the full commitment of the Arab League to support all national efforts that achieve the aspirations of the Sudanese people towards stability and establish the values of a modern and rational state. In a statement issued Tuesday, Aboul Gheit said that this agreement is an important achievement towards the political and economic stability, calling on the international community to provide the necessary support to Sudan. The Arab Parliament pointed out that this agreement is an important and pivotal step for establishing principles related to governance structures in Sudan and achieving security and stability. In a statement issued Tuesday, the Arab Parliament affirmed its full support for the agreement, in a way that enhances Sudan's role in supporting peace and stability in the region and the African continent. In Amman, Jordan on Tuesday welcomed the signing of a framework agreement to end Sudan's political crisis and establish a civilian-led transition, Jordanian News Agency (Petra) reported. In a statement, Jordan's Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs stressed the Kingdom's full support for the agreement, calling it "an important achievement at this stage." The ministry acknowledged regional and international actors for helping to make the agreement possible and expressed hope that it would herald a new era that would satisfy the aspirations of the Sudanese people for stability and prosperity and set the ground for a final solution that would ensure security and stability in the region. — SPA
