The government of Sudan will on Monday, August 31, sign a peace deal with rebel movements to officially accommodate the fighters in the mainstream administration. The development, according to local media reports, means that the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) will take positions in the transitional government led by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, as well as have its fighters gradually integrated into the military. SRF is an alliance of Sudanese factions that was formed in opposition to the government of then-president Omar al-Bashir in November 2011. The rebel movement, which comprises armed groups that control the Darfur region, initialled on the agreement on Saturday, August 29, an indication that they had closed further negotiations on ending issues. However, the move comes after long reviews conducted by the Sudanese government and the armed movements on the text of the agreement, especially concerning the security guarantees and fate of its top leaders. The agreement will among others grant the armed movements a right to merge their fighters with the Sudanese army, in addition to forming a joint force between them and the Sudanese army to protect civilians in Darfur. The deal also contains security arrangements and timetables for the integration, deployment and training of forces.
