On Tuesday, Malik Agar, a member of Sudan’s new Transitional Sovereign Council, stated that all political detainees, including Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, would be released within two days at the most.
In an interview on Tuesday evening, Agar claimed he and his two colleagues from the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), Hadi Idris and Tahir Hajar, are advocating for discussion between the political parties of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and their military component.
When questioned about his view on the present issue, he stated that our position is that all parties must return to the bargaining table.
Agar explained that he met with Prime Minister Hamdok three times to talk about how to mend the schism. According to Agar, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan agreed to release the detainees as well.
Also, he stated that they are in talks with al-Burhan about releasing all detainees and that the military component believes they will be released in a day or two. He emphasized that one of the necessary steps in establishing a conducive environment for conversation is the release of inmates.
Prime Minister Hamdok was detained for a few days after the military takeover on October 25 before being placed under house arrest. Some of his advisers and cabinet members have been placed under house arrest. Other political personalities have also recently been arrested.
Three armed group commanders, including Agar, who joined the Sovereign Council in accordance with the Juba Peace Agreement, have been chastised for joining the new Sovereign Council constituted after the military takeover. However, Agar stated that they are using their legitimacy as peace partners to find a solution to the current issue, emphasizing that they wish to avoid the country’s collapse if armed groups participate in the schism.
On Tuesday, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) leader stated he spent four hours with his comrade and SPLM-N Deputy Chairman, Yasir Arman, together with Idris and Hajar. Agar also expressed confidence, saying he has “the feeling” that the current problem will be resolved shortly.
Because it is a language that was negotiated and agreed upon by both sides, returning to the Constitutional Document is likely. From this perspective, he emphasized that the current situation is disastrous, but it has the potential to turn into a positive for the country if all sides go down at the bargaining table without preconditions.
Agar acknowledged that there is discontent among political and civil society groups, as well as the military, throughout the country, but that only discussion can help the country overcome its current dilemma. The Sudanese Professionals Association and Resistance Committees have called for demonstrations on November 17 in response to mounting calls to keep the peaceful protests going and reject any deal with the military.
