Sudanese parliament voices frustration over continued armed insurgency
June 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Chairman of the Security and Defense subcommittee in the Sudanese parliament Ahmed Imam al-Tuhami lambasted rebels fighting Khartoum and warned that weakened resolve will push people to leave the country as the insurgency continues.
Al-Tuhami called for adhering to the military principle of ‘Shoot to kill’ which he said is used in the United States and Europe when faced with similar situations.
“Unless the rebellion is finished for good in the near future then we will pack our bags and leave this country to them,” he said.
For his part, MP Adam Hamid Musa said that the military has become one of undesired professions in the country following the deterioration of the economic situation of the armed forces which according to him has been burned out by fighting for more than 60 years.
Musa pointed out that low compensation for soldiers prompted the state to use militias to resolve conflicts.
He also underscored the high cost paid by the country to use those “cheap” militias and urged the legislature to enact laws that guarantee a decent life for combat soldiers.
MP Ismail Mohamed Youssef warned that the military arsenal owned by specific tribes is larger than those owned by the state and urged the legislature to enact laws to disarm all tribes.
Youssef also called for keeping the issue of tribal reconciliation out of state governors hands.
But MP Nafie Ali Nafie said the failure to reach peace in the country is caused by the unwillingness of the other party to resort to dialogue.
“Peace and dialogue will not be achieved, unless the opposition parties drop their own agenda,” Nafie said.
Other MPs stressed the importance of supporting national dialogue initiative, demanding at the same time the formation of a parliamentary committee to follow up on dialogue as the only way to bring peace to the country.
(ST)