Sudan’s Umma leader calls for inclusive constitutional conference

November 10, 2007 (KHARTOUM) – The leader of a Sudanese opposition party said that Sudan peace partners are in the impasse. He proposed that the solution of this critical position would be an all parties constitutional conference, the daily al-Sahafa reported today.

The leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP), Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, said that the (ruling) National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) are experiencing an impasse. He said that the solution to the stalemate would be an inclusive constitutional conference which would include all the political forces.

Al-Mahdi said that the visit of the first vice-president and chairman of the (SPLM), Salva Kiir Mayardit, to the United States would aggravate the risky situation in the country and called for national accord to resolve the problems facing the country.

Al-Mahdi said that he has received a report from his party’s office in Washington unveiling that Salva Kiir has lodged a complain with the United Nations secretary-general on the breach by the NCP of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

According to al-Mahdi, Slava Kiir requested the Security Council to convene a session to question the Sudanese leadership about the CPA. He added that the fist vice-president also called upon the US Administration to immediately and order for an intervention to resolve the issues facing the CPA.

Al-Mahdi said that Kiir’s visit came in coordination with the US Administration that has imposed total sanctions against Sudan aiming to impose the sanctions against the NCP, describing division of Sudan into exempted areas and areas under sanctions as a policy similar to the British administration’s policy during the colonization when it had divided Sudan into closed and non-closed areas.

Al-Mahdi renewed his criticism against the CPA, Abuja, and Asmara agreements, saying they were based on wrong hypothesis. He also reiterated his call for an inclusive conference including the entire Sudanese factions under the supervision of the UN and observation of Sudan neighbouring countries without exclusion.

He added that this conference should take place under binding declaration of principles which respects all agreements of ceasefire, achievements realized for the south with special consideration to the southern Sudanese right of self determination in addition to abidance by all human rights, general free and just elections’ requirements, and fair referendum.

He concluded by saying that he believe that this conference would take out the NCP and SPLM from what he called as impasse.

(ST)