Would the N.I.F revive again?
By Bushara Ahmed Gumaa*
Feb 7, 2006 — There are some evidences that let me suppose that there will be some kind of coordination between the teacher (Dr. Al-Turabi) and his student (the dictator Omar Al-Bashir) in future time. Since the teacher has accepted to pardon his bad student, who humiliated him publicly and put him in jail for many years. In reality, the dictator Omar Al-Bashir and Dr. Al-Turabi have many things in common than differences, because they share the same ideology. Their unique problem is that they share the same ambition to power; each one of them wanted to be the leader of the AL-INTIKAS’ regime, but they never had ideological disputes. Of course, the dictator Omar Al-Bashir won the game by the force of guns.
What is the message we can get from the big hug between the dictator Omar Al-Bashir and Al-Turabi in Al-Nileen Mosque, in Jnuary 28, 2006
Did they say to each other “I miss you my friend”? Because their reunion and their hug were very impressive!, even for their followers. I don’t think that they met by coincidence in the Mosque, it was planned and they’ve already agreed to forget the past and open a new page. They’ve chosen that ocasión so as to make people know that their meet was accidental. Any way, the most important is what would happen in the coming months. Would Al-Turabi help AL-INTIKAS’ regime to solve Darfur conflict and the fullfilness of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) or he just wants to approach the power.
The Dictator Omar Al-Bashir and his teacher need each other for the following reasons:
1. The so-called Government of National Unity should be call “Government of Nation Disunity”, since the SPLM/A and the AL-INTIKAS’ regime have big problems regarding the application of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), that became “Incomprehensive Peace Agreement (IPA)” because Abyei’s borders are not yet agreed, nor oil revenue shares being transferred as expected by the SPLM/A, among other issues. Moreover, the majority of the main oposition parties have boycotted joining the government. Therefore, the dictator needs Al-Turabi’s party to join his government or at least support it. Specially, after the controversial African Union (AU) summit in Khartoum, last month and the failure of the dictator Omar Al-Bashir to lead the AU.
2. Idriss Deby, the president of Chad was the best friend of the dictator Omar Al-Bashir for many years, but now they became enemies. Last month Chad declared Omar Al-Bashir as the enemy of the Nation and it declared the State of siege, because the dictator has supported a Chadian rebel group to attack the town of Adré, near the border with Darfur.
3. The Darfurian rebels are strong enough to demand the same as what the SPLM/A has achieved for Southern Sudan, except the right of self-determination for their region.
4. The UN is making huge pressure on Khartoum’s regime to accept international forces. Moreover, the US now has taken over the presidency of the UN for one month. This means that it will push the organization to adopt serious measures against the regime.
5. The eastern rebels are decided to control Hamsh koreb zone, after the withdrawal of the SPLM/A forces.
6. Al-Turabi has lost many supporters in Darfur, since his disciples like Khalil Ibrahim [chief of the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement] and others have become leaders and have more followers than him.
For all these reasons, I think the dictator Omar Al-Bashir wants to regain relations with his teacher Dr. AL-Turabi and rebuild the National Islamic Front (N.I.F) again. But, if Dr. Al-Turabi accepted to rejoin AL-INTIKAS’ regime, which he was its architect, then he would lose credibility in the Sudanese society. This kind of step will benefit the dictator Omar Al-Bashir more than him. And Dr. Turabi will receive hard critics from the Sudanese political opponets and they will consider him as an opportunist. Since he’s already opposed the former dictator Nimeri who put him in jail, but after some times incredibly became Nimeri’s teacher and the architect of his regime. So, its better for Dr. Turabi not to regain power behind his genocidal student, Omar Al-Bashir, unless he still believes in the same ideology or he wants to help the Nation; destroying the regime from within.
* Bushara Ahmed Gumaa is the President of Darfur’s Friends Association (DFA), he can be reached at [email protected]