New Dawn agreement is strategic breakthrough for Sudan, JEM
January 15, 2013 (LONDON) – The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) praised a political charter recently signed by the political forces and rebel groups saying it represents “a strategic and historic breakthrough” for Sudan since its independence.
Main opposition political forces showed reservations over issues included in the charter related to the secular state and use of arms to topple the regime. But the government nonetheless threatened to ban the the opposition parties and described them as “agents of foreign powers”.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune about the agreement, Ahmed Hussein Adam, JEM foreign affairs secretary, minimized the reactions of the Uma National Party and the Popular Congress Party stressing they have no other alternative but to join the other opposition forces to topple this regime.
He said that these forces also tempered its position to avoid a ban of its political activities by the government after threats by President Omer Al-Bashir and the leadership of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP).
“The Charter represents a strategic and historic breakthrough,” he said adding “it is a blueprint base that Sudanese missed since the independence of the country”.
He pointed out that the deal will allow to keep united the remaining of the Sudan and to build up strategic relations with the new nation of South Sudan, emphasizing on the economic interdependence and the shared values between the two countries.
Asked about how to adopt such document only after a five-day meeting, Ahmed disclosed that the text is the fruit of long and secret consultations between the opposition forces and rebel groups.
He also underlined that the next step is to gather all those who did not yet sign the charter, adding they want to set up a national structure and mechanisms before to bring down the regime of Omer Al-Bashir.
The Sudanese Revolutionary Forces this week formed a coordination committee aiming to contact the political parties, youth, women or civil society groups and to convince them to join the charter.
The rebel official called on the international community to support this charter saying it offers a good opportunity to support the Sudanese people to achieve a peaceful change after 24 year of oppression by the regime.
The Sudanese government accused the US and EU diplomatic missions in Uganda of supporting the organization of Kampala meeting but opposition groups denied the accusations.
Security services in Khartoum arrested six of opposition figures who signed the Charter after their return from Kampala.
(ST)