Al-Fadil makes new bid to reconcile factions in Sudan’s Umma party

November 24, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – A leading figure in the National Umma Party (NUP) announced today that he is making a fresh push to unite different factions in the party in order to reinvigorate its institutions and make it an active player in the political arena.

Mubarak al-Fadil said at a press conference on Tuesday that he is working with other NUP figures on this initiative and warned that the political field is currently empty and that Sudanese parties are unable to connect to new generations.

He criticized the prolonged presence of the NUP leader al-Sadiq al-Mahdi abroad saying he has no excuse for that.

“Your return is critical and staying abroad makes no sense no matter what the risks,” al-Fadil said.

“We sincerely ask you with a genuine desire to see you leaving a legacy behind of uniting all [NUP] political factions.. if you want a lifetime presidency, so be it but you just have to accept institutionalization,” he added.

Al-Fadil, who is al-Mahdi’s cousin, defected from the NUP in 2002 and formed the Umma Reform and Renewal Party (URRP). He was of the view at the time that the NUP should take part in the government while al-Mahdi rejected any participation in a non-democratically elected government.

The two men exchanged bitter accusations during the 2002-2003 period. He was appointed as a presidential adviser for economic affairs in 2002. Several members of his newly created party were also appointed in various positions in the government.

He was sacked in 2004 after a dispute with president Omer Hassan al-Bashir and was arrested in 2007 with a number of retired army generals and accused of attempting to stage a coup but was released five months later after it was revealed that the evidence against him and the others was fabricated.

Al-Fadil disbanded his breakaway group and rejoined the NUP in January 2011. The two men appeared to have normalised their relationship briefly before differences emerged and they renewed their personal attacks on each other.

At the press conference, it was announced that a convention will be called for on January 26 to prepare for a party-wide reconciliation.

An NUP figure named Abdul-Jalil al-Basha told reporters that similar efforts stumbled in the past due to non-compliance of NUP leader with decisions of the NUP Central Commission on reunification and his rejection of all initiatives presented.

(ST)