Sudan’s ruling party lashes out at SPLM top official

By: Wasil Ali

July 29, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — A leading figure in Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) accused a top Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) official of adopting views of countries that are hostile to Sudan.

Qutbi Al-Mahdi a member of the NCP executive office said that statement made by the Secretary General of the SPLM Pagan Amum is a “negative phenomenon in Sudan’s history”.

Amum has accused the NCP of dragging its feet over implementing the Comprehensive Agreement (CPA) particularly on the disputed oil region of Abeyi.

Amum also accused Khartoum of committing genocide in the troubled region of Darfur.

Al-Mahdi said that Amum still lives with “rebellion mentality and is behind on understanding the changes in the political arena that requires everyone to rise to the occasion”.

The leading NCP figure called on Amum to “stick to the CPA and the deliverables of peace and not to adopt stances of countries that are hostile to Sudan”.

Al-Mahdi stressed that Amum’s statements “do not serve the country and encourages hatred with detrimental impact on peace”.

Amum is one of the outspoken figures in the SPLM which made him a target of unprecedented backlash by NCP officials.

Sudan’s north-south deal ended Africa’s longest civil war which had raged for all but 11 years since independence in 1956. Two million died and more than 4 million were driven from their homes.

(ST)