Growing signs of dissent within Sudan Umma party

November 9, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The deputy leader of Sudan’s Umma party is confirmed to have resigned after earlier reports denying such a move.

The leader of the opposition Umma party Sadiq al-Mahdi said in a statement that his deputy Adam Madibo stepped down following disagreement between the latter and the central committee of the party.

The opposition leader did not elaborate on the nature of the dispute between Madibo and the other party members.

Al-Mahdi however hinted that the resignation is not final and is dependent upon approval by the party leadership and its political bureau.

There has been mounting signs of unrest within the largest Northern opposition parties following signing of the ‘National Compromise Agreement’ with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP).

The agreement received a cool reception from the grassroots of the party and many saw it as a beginning of an alliance with the NCP.

Moreover the participation of Al-Mahdi in the ‘People of Sudan’ initiative has caused anger particularly among Darfuris in the Umma party political bureau last month.

Madibo’s son who is a member of the Umma party political bureau told the independent Al-Watan newspaper that 40% of the bureau members walked out from the meeting which discussed the ‘People of Sudan’ initiative.

He also accused the Umma part leadership of sidelining the bureau’s role in the party and suggested that the ‘National Compromise Agreement’ was against the majority wishes.

The Umma party figure lashed out the ‘People of Sudan’ initiative saying that it is a “waste of time and an attempt to blow life into a dead body and sophisticating the Darfur cause”.

“Resolving the Darfur crisis is in the hands of Al-Bashir” he added.

But Al-Mahdi vehemently defended his participation in the ‘People of Sudan’ forum.

“I can safely say that the fears of those who did not attend the forum and parties opposed to it were not real” Al-Mahdi said in an interview with the Kuwaiti daily Al-Jarida last month.

“They had three concerns…that this gathering is of face value with no mandate…that any resolution would be passed automatically by the National Congress Party (NCP) majority…that the forum was held for the sake of the NCP. All their reservations are meaningless now” he added.

The former prime minister has expressed support to Al-Bashir in his row with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In mid-July the ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for Al-Bashir.

The ICC’s prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo filed 10 charges: three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity and two of murder.

In early October ICC judges have officially started reviewing the case in a process that could possibly drag on to next year. The opposition leader has previously been one of the supporters of the ICC. However following the indictment of Al-Bashir he appeared to have shifted his position.

Al-Mahdi was ousted as prime minister in a bloodless military coup in 1989 by President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and has been one of the most outspoken critics of the government ever since. However lately he has taken a more favorable position towards the government saying the latter became more accepting of other political parties.

(ST)