Sudan’s military rulers pardon two rebel leaders

KHARTOUM - Sudan’s military rulers have pardoned two rebel leaders who had been sentenced to death in absentia.

Malik Agar, head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement - North (SPLM-N), and his deputy Yasir Arman were given the death penalty in 2014 for their participation in a rebellion against Omar alBashir’s government.

The uprising began in Blue Nile State in September 2011.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of military council that overthrew Bashir in April, issued the pardon, state-owned Sudan TV said.

The station said that the amnesty included “other leaders,” but did not give their names.

The constitutional declaration signed last weekend by the ruling TMC and Sudan’s opposition coalition provides for a general amnesty for those political leaders and armed group members sentenced by the previous regime.

Meanwhile, the country’s ruling generals and protest leaders have signed a constitutional declaration that paves the way for a transition to civilian rule, a hard-fought agreement that came after a long period of negotiations following the overthrow of Bashir in the wake of mass protests.

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the deputy head of the TMC, and Ahmed Rabie, a protest leader, signed the declaration on Sunday at a ceremony in the capital, Khartoum, that was attended by African Union and Ethiopian mediators.

The document builds on a power-sharing deal agreed to last month and provides for a joint civilian-military ruling body to oversee the formation of a transitional civilian government and parliament to govern for a period of a little more than three years until elections can be held.

The signing was met by a wave of applause in the Khartoum hall as representatives from both sides shook hands.

Malik Agar, head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N), and his deputy Yasir Arman were given the death penalty in 2014 for their participation in a rebellion against Omar al-Bashir’s government.