Umma Party pushes for reform in Sudan’s Tagadum coalition
March 23, 2024 (KHARTOUM) – Fadlallah Burma, leader of Sudan’s National Umma Party (NUP), revealed ongoing discussions within the anti-war coalition, Tagadum, regarding the party’s reform proposals. Speaking to Sudan Tribune, he emphasized the Party’s commitment to addressing Tagadum’s shortcomings rather than clinging to the time limit they set.
On March 10th, the NUP presented Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Taqaddum Alliance with a reform vision. The vision criticized the perceived lack of neutrality regarding the ongoing conflict, particularly media bias towards one of the warring parties, in reference to the Rapid Support Forces. The Umma Party also called for a round-table conference involving all national military and political parties.
On March 10th, the NUP presented a reform proposal to Tagadum chairman Abdallah Hamdok. The proposal called for a round-table conference with all national stakeholders, including military and political parties. Burma stressed the NUP’s commitment to unity and its historical responsibility to end the war and achieve peace.
When asked about the party’s next step after the deadline, Burma stressed the importance of flexibility in political work. He stated the current priority is overcoming differences and achieving consensus.
Prioritizing peace and openness
Burma reiterated the National Umma Party’s commitment to unity and emphasized the party’s historical responsibility to end the war and achieve peace. He explained that the party’s current focus is on addressing Taqaddum’s shortcomings to create a more inclusive alliance.
The NUP leader stated, “The primary goal of this alliance, a broad civil front, has not yet been achieved.” Notably, Tagadum’s efforts to include the holdout groups SPLM-N of Abdel Aziz al-Hilu and the SLM led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur haven’t yielded significant progress. Additionally, Tagadum said they were open to working with the Democratic Bloc coalition on the condition they abandon their support for the war.
Representation matters
Burma highlighted the issue of representation within the alliance as crucial for the Umma Party. “We respect all groups within Tagadum,” he said, “but each component deserves fair representation based on its true weight.” He emphasized that justice demands a more equitable distribution of power within the alliance.
Last October, Tagadum’s founding members agreed to allocate 30% of power to political forces, with the remaining 70% going to civil society actors like unions, NGOs, and resistance committees. The Nationl Umma Party appears to be advocating for a revision of this structure.
(ST)