Most of the researches on peace agreements conclude that powersharing
arrangements included in these are mostly to the detriment of longterm
democratic transformation. The basic argument of these studies is that
peace deals consolidate mainly the power of the signatories to the detriment
of other major political forces. This article illustrates that, in contrast to
many cases, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which was signed
in 2005 between the government of Sudan represented by the ruling party,
the National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People’s Liberation
Movement/Army (SPLM/A), has led to an important political transformation
in state structure as well as in power relations. Although the CPA enhanced
the legitimacy of the SPLM and the NCP and consolidated their
political domination, it, nevertheless, contributed to a significant political
opening for other political forces in the North and in the South. The CPA
put an end to the historically exclusive political hegemony of the North. This
article focuses on the dynamics of relations between the SPLM and the NCP
during the transitional period and illustrates how these dynamics have impacted
upon the process of political transformation.