Sudanese lawmakers express fury over Um Rawaba’s attack
April 29, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese parliament held a closed session on Monday to discuss the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) weekend attack on Um Rawaba.
Hussein notified the national assembly that he is heading to Um Rawaba to prepare for a response on the “aggression’ but promised to appear on Wednesday along with the interior minister.
But many MP’s today renewed calls for sacking the defense and interior ministers with some urging president Omer Hassan al-Bashir to assume leadership of the army for an interim period.
They accused the two ministers of negligence and lack of responsibility, warning of a potential attack on Khartoum in the coming days. The lawmakers called upon president Bashir to deal firmly with the issue in order to remedy the situation.
The speaker Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Taher adjourned the session despite protests from MPs who wanted to continue deliberations on the issue.
Al-Taher, who spoke in a press conference afterwards, stressed the need to hold accountable any official who fails to carry out his responsibilities, admitting that what had happened in Um Rawaba was alarming.
He further accused third parties, namely Uganda, of supporting SRF, calling upon the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) to crush the rebels, saying “We will not rest, until we stamp them out”.
In the same context, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) leading figure, Ghazi Salah Al-Deen Atabani, stressed that withdrawal of confidence from the defense minister is possible in accordance with the rules, reiterating his call for a strong parliament in the face of the executive body.
In 2012, following the fall of Heglig at the hands of the South Sudanese army (SPLA), the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) bloc in parliament called on the presidency to relieve the defence minister of his duties after his failure in protecting the oil-rich area which produces half of Sudan’s crude output.
Many are questioning president Omer Hassan al-Bashir’s insistence to keep Hussein despite his poor performance. They note the attack on the capital by Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in 2008 which rattled the army at the time despite quickly repulsing it.
It was reported that Bashir swiftly rejected calls that he sack Hussein, telling members of his party that it is a “red line”. Like Bashir, Hussein has also been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes in Sudan’s western Darfur region.
(ST)