Sudan's Prime Minister Signs Historic Agreement With Nuba People
On September 3, Sudanese Prime Minster Abdalla Hamdok and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North leader Abdelaziz Al-Hilu signed an accord in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The agreement is another sign of warming relations between the civilian-wing of the transitional government and Nuba leaders.
Background
In 2019, a peaceful revolution swept across Sudan and pushed the country into a period of transitional governance. While several regime officials are under arrest and new civilian leaders have made marginal reforms, top regime generals remain in positions of immense power. Violence by these holdover regime forces is still common today, especially in Sudan’s historically oppressed hinterlands of Darfur, Blue Nile, and the Nuba Mountains.
The situation in the Nuba Mountains remains largely unchanged despite Sudan’s revolution. A ceasefire has been in place since 2016; however, regime forces routinely violate the agreement by targeting isolated Nuba communities near frontline areas. Such attacks are often spearheaded by the Rapid Support Forces and Popular Defense Forces, two holdover regime paramilitary outfits who operate largely outside of the transitional government’s authority.
Today, much of the Nuba Mountains is controlled by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), an indigenous armed opposition movement that has prevented regime forces from committing a genocide against the Nuba people since 2011.
The Joint Agreement
The agreement signed by Prime Minister Hamdok and SPLM-N leader Al-Hilu is fairly straightforward. Here’s the text:
We, Representatives of the Transitional Government of the Republic of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, affirm the following principles:
1. Sudan is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural society. Full recognition and accommodation of these diversities must be affirmed.
2. Complete political and social equalities of all peoples in Sudan must be guaranteed by law.
3. A democratic state must be established in Sudan. For Sudan to become a democratic country where the rights of all citizens are enshrined, the constitution should be based on the principle of “separation of religion and state” in the absence of which the right to self-determination must be respected. Freedom of belief and worship and religious practice shall be guaranteed in full to all Sudanese citizens. The state shall not establish an official religion. No citizen shall be discriminated against based on their religion.
4. The people of Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile (the “Two Areas”) retain the status quo which includes self-protection until security arrangements are agreed upon by the parties to the conflict and until “separation between religion and state” is actualized.
5. The parties hereby agree to maintain the cessation of hostilities throughout the peace process until the security arrangements are agreed upon.
6. The principle of appropriate and fair sharing of power and wealth among the various people of Sudan must be realized through the constitution.
This agreement is remarkable for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it affirms the core demands of the Nuba people, who have long stood for tolerance, secular government, legal protections for all Sudanese, and an end to the catastrophic disaster that was the Bashir regime.
Second, it provides the Nuba people virtual autonomy within Sudan’s borders until separation of religion and state becomes official. This would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, when the Bashir regime was openly pursuing racist and murderous policies against the Nuba people.
The agreement also clearly states that the Nuba have the right to defend themselves until broader security arrangements are agreed upon. This seems to be accounting for the recent ethnic cleansing campaign committed by the Rapid Support Forces in western Nuba Mountains. The SPLM-N did not launch a military intervention to end the ethnic cleansing, despite being well within their rights to do so. The situation became so severe that, just last month, the SPLM-N walked away from peace talks, which were alarmingly being led by the Rapid Support Forces commander Hemeti. This agreement seems to affirm that if the Rapid Support Forces start pushing into SPLM-N held areas, the Nuba resistance movement has the Prime Minister’s blessing to stand their ground.
Finally, the last point of the agreement seems to pave the way for reparations to be paid to the Nuba people, as well as guaranteed political representation in Sudan’s new constitution. Again, this would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, when the Bashir regime was robbing the Nuba people of their land, raping and killing them, and denying their basic rights.
What Happens Next
As with all things in Sudan, time will tell if the principles agreed to in this document are upheld. There are already early signs that trouble may be the horizon. Islamist political parties in Khartoum have denounced the agreement. Even though they are on their heels after being pushed out of the government, they still wield some power and have vast resources at their disposal.
Most concerning is the mere existence of the Rapid Support Forces. That includes their commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti, who holds a powerful position in Sudan’s transitional government. His forces are responsible for the recent ethnic cleansing in western Nuba. He failed at achieving peace with the Nuba people because of his crimes, which is why the Prime Minister stepped in to negotiate with SPLM-N directly. Hemeti’s well-known, self-aggrandizing personality means he probably won’t be thrilled with how this agreement came to be.
For now though, this is a moment worth celebrating. After nearly ten long years of unspeakable suffering, the Nuba people are closer than ever before to seeing their vision of a more just, more tolerant Sudan realized. Their recognition that lasting peace doesn’t just happen, but must be fought for, achieved, and protected, may just lead to the clouds over Sudan parting once and for all.
What a day that will be.
How You Can Help
There hasn’t been a better time to run toward just, lasting change in Sudan.
While this agreement is a sign that bigger shifts may be on the horizon, a transformed Sudan will only come to be when every single community is resilient and well-resourced.
That reality is at the heart of Operation Broken Silence’s mission. It’s why we fund two incredible Nuba-led schools in Yida Refugee Camp. Our supporters supply 24 Nuba teachers who oversee 1,300 refugee children a year.
Because of the economic fallout of COVID-19, much of that funding has been lost this year. And that’s where you come in.
Our 11th annual 5k is going to be virtual this year. Team captains are already bringing together runners online across the United States. The teachers and students in Yida need you to join them right now. Register for $15 and raise another $35 through your fundraising page before November. Your effort supports them.
Our goal? Make up for every single donation our teachers and students lost this year.
Looking for another way to help? Consider setting up a small monthly gift or making a one-time donation! In our line of our work, every penny counts.
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
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