Democratic Bloc demands Islamist reckoning for dialogue

October 9, 2024 (CAIRO) – The Freedom and Change Coalition’s Democratic Bloc said on Wednesday that any dialogue with Islamist factions hinges on their comprehensive self-critique of their past rule.

This statement comes as Islamist groups, notably the dissolved National Congress Party (NCP), are increasingly active amid the ongoing conflict. NCP’s acting head, Ibrahim Mahmoud, has returned to Sudan, and Islamist militias are fighting alongside the army.

“There’s no alliance or coordination between us and the Islamists,” Mubarak Ardol, a Democratic Bloc leader, told Sudan Tribune. “They must review and critique their past actions before any dialogue can begin.”

Ardol acknowledged the Islamists’ re-emergence as a political force, stating, “This aligns with reality; they are part of it and cannot be ignored in any future dialogue on Sudan’s governance.”

However, he emphasized prerequisites for their inclusion: “They must transparently assess their history and present their findings to the Sudanese people.”

Ardol clarified that their acceptance of Islamists is “as Sudanese citizens, not as NCP leaders.”

This stance contrasts with other pro-democracy groups, such as the Tagadum coalition, which categorically rejects any engagement with the former regime, blaming it for the current war.

Ardol highlighted the NCP’s 30-year rule, riddled with crises, including the creation of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now accused of widespread atrocities.

He views the Islamists’ return as “an opportunity for political debate leading to genuine national consensus, but their return must include a political project for discussion.”

Ardol dismissed allegations of Islamists instigating the war, attributing it instead to the framework agreement that, he argues, was designed to favour specific political forces and empower the RSF as their military arm.

This agreement, signed in late 2022 by the army, the RSF, and the Freedom and Change Coalition, aimed to restore civilian rule and integrate the RSF into the army. However, disputes over the integration process triggered the current conflict.