Abu Issa calls on opposition to harden stance against Bashir regime

April 12, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the opposition National Consensus Forces (NCF), Farouk Abu Issa, said Sudanese people have no choice but to overthrow the regime if the government continues to reject calls for a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue in the country.

Abu Issa, who was released three days ago after four months in detention, was speaking at a meeting held at the premises of the National Umma Party (NUP) where he received a warm welcome from the opposition supporters.

The meeting which concluded the “Leave” campaign for the boycott of elections was also addressed by the chairman of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) Malik Agar, and leader of a Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM) and Farah Agar who had been detained with the opposition leader since 6 December 2014.

The former detainee said he is still tired but he preferred to come show the unity of the opposition forces against the regime, adding it is obvious that the regime of president Omer al-Bashir is losing its reputation and trembling in its decision.

“The objective of these elections is to eliminate every opponent to al-Bashir within the National Congress Party and to give him the upper hand in the regime,” he said.

He went on to say that they have been opposed from the beginning to any dialogue with the regime because they were aware that the government was not serious in its initiative of the national dialogue.

“We in the opposition agreed to move forward in two tracks: a comprehensive political solution through an open, productive and legitimate national dialogue, including all the Sudanese people,” he said, as well as popular and peaceful protests against the regime.

Abu Issa was referring to the Sudan Call declaration where the political and armed opposition forces and civil society groups agreed to engage in the dialogue with the government in line with African Union roadmap provided in its decisions 456.

The NCF leader said the opposition now has to readjust its demands and come out with highly leveraged position calling for the “full re-establishment of freedoms and democracy and the dissolution of the one-party system”.

“No compromise with the regime,” he said.

He also pointed to the different statements issued by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, EU, Troika and Canada condemning Khartoum rejection to participate in the preparatory meeting for the national dialogue.

The Sudanese security service arrested nearly 15 activists and members of the SPLM-N, Sudanese communist Party and Sudanese Congress Party including Salwa Adam Beniya and Sandra Farouq Kadoda.

(ST)