Malik Agar’s group rejects appointment into new governing sovereign council

KHARTOUM — The SPLM-N led by Malik Agar Thursday distanced itself from the appointment of a new Transitional Sovereign Council in Sudan, saying they did not take part in the decision.

On Thursday, the Commander in Chief of the Sudan Armed Forces Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan issued a decree reappointing himself as Chairman of the Sovereign Council.

Also, he announced the appointment in the new collegial presidency of four members of the military component, three leaders of armed groups: Malik Agar, al-Hadi Idris, and al-Tahir Hajar, and five civilian members.

“Today’s decisions did not appoint or reappoint Malik Agar, al-Hadi Idris, or al-Tahir Hajar as members of the Sovereign Council,” said a statement issued by the SPLM-N Agar after the formation of the new council.

“The decisions that had been already issued did not include them and they did not participate in them,” further stressed the statement referring to the leaders of the armed groups who joined the Sovereign Council in line with the peace agreement.

The SPLM-N  recalled a joint statement issued by the three leaders on 7 November rejecting the coup and expressing their support for the civilian-led transitional government.

Furthermore, the group released a copy of a decree issued by Gen al-Burhan on 11 November appointing four generals and Mrs Raja Nicola Eissa Abdel-Masih. The names of the three leaders of the armed groups are not included.

Previously, the coup leaders pledged to remain committed to the Juba peace agreement including the power-sharing chapter.

Hajar and Idris did not issue statements on the move.

In a related development, Sudan Liberation Movement leader Minni Minnawi returned Thursday to Khartoum after a two-day visit to the Chadian capital Ndjamena.

The governor of the Darfur region travelled on a plane often used by the vice-chairman of the Sovereign Council.

Gibril Ibrahim, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) leader and Minnawi support the military coup. However, the latter issued a statement calling for the release of political detainees and the prime minister.