News

Sudan’s ruling NCP downplays meeting between SRF rebels and DUP leader

25 August 2014
In News

August 24, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday has downplayed the impact of the meeting which took place between leaders of the rebel alliance of the Sudan Revolutionary Forces (SRF) and the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani.

DUP leader Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani (C) poses with SRF deputy chairman al-Tom Hajo and SRF secretary of external affairs Yasir Arman on 22 August 2014 (Photo courtesy of the SRF)

Al-Mirghani, met in the British capital on Friday 22 August for the first time with a delegation from the SRF which briefed him on the Paris Declaration and discussed a possible boycott of the general election scheduled for April 2015.

The NCP spokesperson, Yasir youssef, said the meeting comes within the framework of a public relations campaign launched by the SRF to promote the Paris Declaration it signed with the National Umma Party (NUP) on 8 August.

In press statements on Sunday Youssef, further described the Paris Declaration as “diminutive thinking that we must rise above it”.

He also expressed displeasure with the meeting which will be held between some opposition parties based outside the country and leaders of armed groups in the South African capital Pretoria in the coming days, describing the meeting as “waste of time’ calling them to come to Khartoum and participate in the national dialogue.

“South Africa and the other countries where they reside are friendly countries but dialogue here in Khartoum is simple and more productive, and it will conduct us to our national choices,” he said.

Also the dialogue “will be held with all the guarantees agreed by the political forces,” he stressed.

Sudan Tribune has no details about this meeting disclosed by Youssef who is also state minister for information in the Sudanese government.

ECONOMIC SITUATION

Meanwhile, Youssef acknowledged the difficult economic conditions and price hikes, saying we feel these difficulties and call upon people to utilize benefits of the rainy season and increase production.

He denied that the government is ignoring price increases, underscoring that resolving economic conditions cannot be separated from finding the necessary political solutions.

Youssef further said the economic issue represents one of the government’s top priorities, expressing hope that the quintet economic program could restore economic stability through increasing production.

He pointed the quintet program seeks to increase production and reduce consumption.

The Sudanese finance minister Badr al-Din Mahmoud on Saturday said that his government will continue lifting subsidies on consumer goods stressing that the 2015-2019 economic programme is based upon controlled economic liberalisation policy.