Al-Hilu: it is not time to engage in the Tagadum coalition,
June 9, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) – Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, head of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), stated that it is too early to determine whether the Movement will join the Tagadum coalition of civil democratic forces. He expressed his support for Egypt’s initiative to unite Sudanese political factions.
Al-Hilu stated that the movement’s decision to join the Tagadum coalition is contingent upon the outcomes of the upcoming roundtable conference.
In an interview with Sudan Tribune, he explained that the movement’s participation as an observer in a Tagadum conference was to assess the coalition’s commitment to the September 2020 agreement signed by its leader Abdallah Hamdok with the SPLM-N.
The agreement stipulated the inclusion of the separation of religion and state in the Sudanese constitution. Al-Hilu emphasized that dialogue continues until radical solutions are found to ensure a just, rather than coercive, unity that leads to war.
He noted that the Tagadum founding conference statement mentioned a round-table conference involving all forces adhering to its principles. This round-table conference, he said, will be the test to determine the seriousness of Tagadum in developing its charter.
The roundtable would discuss key principles for establishing governance in Sudan, including the creation of a secular state that remains impartial towards all religions, identities, and cultures. This state would recognize and celebrate diversity without discrimination, upholding equal citizenship as the foundation of rights and duties, and acknowledging both historical and contemporary diversity.
Stopping the War
Al-Hilu welcomed the Egyptian initiative to bring together political forces to end the war, stating, “We encourage such initiatives, but they must aim to end all conflicts, not just the fighting that began on April 15.” He stressed the need for radical solutions to address the root causes of conflict in Sudan since 1955, emphasizing that results, not initiatives, are what matter.
However, he acknowledged that the decision to stop the war ultimately rests with the army and RSF. He said, “Despite this war’s connection to external axes and the Islamic Movement’s involvement, in the end, only the two sides have the will to stop it.”
SPLM-N and the UAE
Al-Hilu defended the Movement’s position in the Juba meetings with the Sudanese government regarding delivery of humanitarian assistance. He claimed the army delegation aimed to supply its military units, not address the needs of civilians. He stated, “The army delegation linked aid delivery to a ceasefire, which is tied to security arrangements achievable only after reaching a political agreement.”
He emphasized that aid is a right for all Sudanese in need, regardless of ethnicity or geography, but how it is delivered is a shared responsibility.
Al-Hilu refuted accusations by former SPLM-N spokesperson Mubarak Ardol about understandings the United Arab Emirates aiming to obstruct the humanitarian talks in Juba. He said, “We have no understanding with any party regarding humanitarian aid. Our priority is the complete liberation of our people and realizing their aspirations in building a new Sudan. What Mubarak Ardol says is false, and he is responsible for his words.”
The Movement’s position on aid delivery
In response to Sudan Tribune’s question about the fairness of the movement’s position on aid delivery to its areas, Al-Hilu affirmed the movement’s 40-year commitment to protecting its people and their just causes. He highlighted that citizens haven’t left the liberated areas but rather sought refuge there for protection, security, and stability.
Al-Hilu reiterated the SPLM-N’s stance on delivering aid to all affected areas without discrimination. He expressed surprise at the “sudden interest” in aid delivery to the group-held areas, noting that aid was previously denied for 18 years through the Lifeline 1989 program. He questioned why the armed forces refused aid for so long and only now decided to show concern.
When asked about current military operations, al-Hilu briefly stated, “The friction between the SPLA and the Sudanese Armed Forces or others is solely for the defence and protection of citizens.”
Secularism or Fragmentation
Al-Hilu reaffirmed the SPLM-N’s commitment to state secularism and self-determination, emphasizing that these principles are fundamental human rights and not subject to compromise or delay. He criticized the insistence on postponing the secularism issue to the Constitutional Conference as a mere ploy to avoid confronting this critical matter. He argued that postponing these issues has led the country to disaster and stressed the need for political forces to have prior convictions about the necessity of secularism before the conference. Otherwise, he warned, the roundtable conference would become a platform for rhetoric and political manoeuvring rather than addressing the real issues.
Al-Hilu pledged the country’s unity and stability to secularism based on freedom and equality.
He also criticized the army leadership’s intention to conclude military agreements with Russia to build a base on the Red Sea, stating that such dependence on foreign powers undermines national sovereignty and decision-making, returning the country to pre-independence times.
(ST)