Behind the News .. The Constitutional Conference

Mohamed Wadaa

The most important outcomes of the Addis Ababa preparatory conference for the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue, held during the period from (10-5) July under the auspices of the High Mechanism, this meeting, which was attended by (15) blocs, entities and parties out of (20) parties, in the absence of Taqddum and the non-signatory movements, radicals and the original Baath, came in two points related to the place and time of the beginning of the dialogue, and the agreement was unanimous to start the dialogue after the ceasefire based on Jeddah Agreement, and that the dialogue be within Sudan,
It is noted that the conference presented a vision to divide the dialogue into two phases , the first concerned with urgent issues related to ending the war in a way that ensures reaching a single national army based on the armed forces SAF ,and agreeing on the tasks of the transitional phase and its duration, and the constitutional basis that governs it, and defining its competencies, foremost of which is ending the war and the return of the IDPs and refugees and restoring services and starting to rebuild what the war destroyed,
The second phase is concerned with issues of achieving comprehensive peace, and building the state and completing the main agenda of the constitutional conference,
Since its independence, Sudan has not had a permanent constitution that achieves and protects the aspirations of the Sudanese for democratic rule that enables the creation of stability and peaceful transfer of power, achieves balanced development and defines the role of the state in supporting the poor and agreeing on an economic program through which a social welfare state is achieved and a national program to reduce poverty and balanced development,
All successive constitutions, whether under civilian or military rule, bore the character of transitional, and at least three revolutions took place followed by transitional constitutions and transitional stages that all ended in failure and the handover or receipt of power again by the army, and the document of 2019 was no exception, it was also subject to breach and penetration and the conflict over it ended in the coup of October 25, 2021, the constitutional document clearly stipulated the establishment of a constitutional commission and the holding of the constitutional conference with the participation of all Sudanese, all documents adopted by the political powers stipulated the establishment of the constitutional conference, the National Consensus Powers and the Call Powers Sudan, all peace agreements, the Declaration of the Forces of Freedom and Change FFC, the Constitutional Document 2019 and Burhan-Hamdok Agreement signed in November 2021,
The most important proposed agenda for the Constitutional Conference (the Constitutional Making Commission, writing the permanent constitution with the agreement of all Sudanese, determining the system of government (parliamentary, presidential, mixed), how Sudan is governed (federal, regional, state), the relationship between religion and state, wealth and power, sustainable peace issues, the economic system, truth and reconciliation, transitional justice, political reform (parties), security and military reform, the electoral system and the Elections Commission, parliamentary practice, the role of unions .. and other major issues as decided by the Preparatory Committee), and this comes after agreeing on the regulations for organizing the conference’s work (time and place, meetings, decision-making mechanism), the Preparatory Committee can be formed through a workshop in which the main parties participate, or by consensus, and it must be independent and neutral,
This conference must enjoy the participation of all Sudanese ethnic, national, religious and cultural components, political forces Civil society organizations, and armed movements that did not sign the Juba Peace Agreement, including Islamists who are not wanted or accused in criminal cases without excluding anyone except the Rapid Support RSF Militia, are not popularly accepted, and cannot be a party to any political arrangements.
The crimes and violations committed by the Rapid Support RSF Militia and its use of mercenaries from neighboring countries and its dependence on external parties have made it the main contradiction, such that it is no longer possible to coexist with it again, and its fate is annihilation or (dismantling) peacefully or by war, and this is what is happening now.
The outcomes of this conference must express the consensus of the Sudanese on a national project to build the Sudanese state, resulting in a permanent constitution that will be put to a referendum to be a contract and agreement between all the people of Sudan, July 21, 2024 .