KT
The Supreme Council of Beja Chiefdoms repeated its demand to repeal the eastern Sudan peace agreement and gave the government two additional weeks before closing again the country’s terminals on the Red Sea and blocking roads.
While the eastern Sudan signatory groups of the Juba peace pact voiced their sharp rejection of any attempt to break down the deal.
The tribal body had already cut Port Sudan from the rest of the country from 17 September to 31 October saying the removal of Hamdok second cabinet was one of its demands and gave a one-month delay to cancel the eastern Sudan peace agreement which is their principal demand.
Before the end of the deadline on December 4, the Council once again threatened to close the vital port and roads linking the country with the world.
On Saturday, the tribal body stated that the government committee charged with the eastern Sudan crisis, led by the Vice-Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, requested to give them 15 days to settle the dispute over the Juba peace agreement for eastern Sudan.
“The Supreme Council discussed the request of the Sovereign Council’s committee and agreed to grant the specified time period, which ends on the 19th of December.”
The Sovereign Council called the leaders of the 17 tribal components in eastern Sudan for consultations in Khartoum with the view to reach a solution accepted by all the stakeholders.
However, it seems that the military who previously encouraged the protest movement in eastern Sudan have now failed to narrow the gaps between the tribal chiefs against the agreement and those who are supportive of the Juba peace deal.
Mahmoud Tahir Al-Haj Chairman of the Eastern Sudan Political and Civil Society Forces Alliance who is supporting the agreement told Aljazeera TV on Saturday that the reason for the current crisis is more tribal than political.
