Sudan’s ruling NCP politically weakened after crackdown on opposition demos
December 7, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese ruling National Congress Party (NCP) appeared to be growingly isolated after a day of protests staged by Northern opposition parties and Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) which is a major partner in the government of national unity (GoNU).
The Sudanese authorities, aware of the demonstration plans, took no chances and deployed thousands of its troops early Monday morning on the streets of the capital and bridges with cars being subject to search by the police.
The Sudanese national assembly and headquarters of political parties were surrounded by riot police which fired tear gas to prevent demonstrators chanting the word ‘freedom’ from taking the streets.
Yesterday the interior ministry issued a last minute statement saying that the political parties did not receive proper permission to proceed with the mass protest and warned that those intending to take part in this “illegitimate” demonstration with legal action.
It was a sudden change of heart from statements made by NCP official saying that they do not mind the demonstration as a peaceful means of democratic expression.
Furthermore the Sudanese cabinet took the surprise decision of declaring Monday a holiday to allow people to register for voting before deadline expired. However it is widely believed that the measure was taken to prevent people from leaving there homes and taking part in the protest.
For many observers and analysts even pro-government ones the ban was unjustified as the purpose of the demonstration was to deliver a memorandum to the speaker of the parliament containing demands for amending series of laws deemed necessary to prepare for the April 2010 elections and the process of democratic transformation.
The editor in chief of the independent Al-Tayar newspaper Osman Mirghani wrote that that the government will be ill-advised if it resorts to the same tactics it used over the last twenty years since it took power in a coup led by president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir.
Mirghani said that the government is fundamentally opposed to the principle of people taking the streets as a new approach by opposition parties fearing that it could spread to other sectors of the society.
The Islamist columnist Al-Tayib Zein Al-Abdeen speaking to the London based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat lashed at the government saying that the NCP is allowed to stage demonstrations without restrictions or permission requirements.
Al-Abdeen said the NCP “is very weak in front of any political alliance against it”.
The list of high profile detainees included SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum, his deputy Yasir Arman, Abbas Goma’a state minister of interior (SPLM figure), spokesperson of the coalition alliance Farouk Abu Essa, Kamal Omer political secretary general of the Popular Congress Party (PCP and Sideeg Turabi son of PCP leader, daughters and grandchildren of former Sudanese prime minister Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi.
There are conflicting reports on the exact number of detainees with figures ranging from 30-63. They are all believed to be released.
Multiple sources said that the police brutality was evident in the beatings of the protestors including women, which is considered culturally shameful in Sudanese society.
One eyewitness told Sudan Tribune that his sister fell in the ground as riot police chased her with sticks after which he intervened to cover and protect her making him exposed to the beatings.
Arman once inside the police station was taken to the restroom and beaten by Sudanese police, multiple sources said.
Sudanese officials scrambled to stress that the action against the demonstrators was taken in accordance with the ban after the organizers failed to obtain proper permission.
The NCP figure Mandoor Al-Mahdi was quoted by the Sudanese state agency (SUNA) as saying that they received intelligence information on plans by the demonstrators “to create anarchy and use Molotov bombs”.
The Sudanese foreign ministry summoned representatives of foreign missions to brief them on the situation delivering the same message, the protest was illegal and the authorities dealt with it accordingly.
But Amum speaking to various TV stations said that they are only required to “notify” the authorities about their plans as opposed to getting permission.
He told Associated Press that fair and free elections appear to be impossible citing “lack of freedom” displayed today.
The leader of the Umma Reform and Renewal Party (URRP) Mubarak Al-Fadil accused the Sudanese president of exercising de-facto emergency law powers.
“They arrested SPLM members of the cabinet who enjoy immunity. This is an unconstitutional measure that can only be taken under emergency law which has to be approved by First Vice president Salva Kiir in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)” Al-Fadil said.
Al-Fadil said that political parties held a meeting today and issued statements calling for the firing of the ministers of justice and interior as well as Khartoum police chief over the law breaches that occurred today.
He said that an agreement was made to conduct political rallies this week at the headquarters of the Umma party and SPLM and new demonstrations are planned for Thursday all over the country.
The heavyweight Sudanese officials from the executive branch and the NCP maintained silence and avoided reacting to today’s protests.
Several sources told Sudan Tribune that there were deep divisions within the NCP on how to deal with the opposition rally and saying that the powerful presidential assistant Nafi Ali Nafi prevailed being the main proponent of a security crackdown.
Human right groups, NGO’s and the UN condemned the wave of detentions by Sudanese security forces.
The UN representative to Sudan, Ashraf Qazi, expressed concern over the violence and said it comes at a “very critical” stage in Sudan. “These developments could have adverse implications” on the north-south deal, he said.
John Prendergast, head of a Sudan program at the Washington-based Center for American Progress, said the U.S. should reconsider financial assistance to the Sudanese elections.
“Today’s reaction by the … security services demonstrates further that the U.S. should not be financing this electoral charade unless the laws are amended to allow the basics of a credible election,” Prendergast said.
The president of south Sudan, Silva Kiir, called the detentions unjustifiable. He vowed to “use all the necessary means to ensure the country does not reverse to war.”
London-based Amnesty International also condemned the Khartoum crackdown, saying it was an example of the “culture of violence” adopted by al-Bashir’s government.
Tensions between the National Congress Party of President Omar al-Bashir and the SPLM have been rising due to the approach of two crucial events mapped out in the 2005 peace deal.
One is a national election that was originally scheduled for this year but has been pushed back to 2010. The other is a referendum on independence for south Sudan, due in January 2011. If it goes ahead, this poll is likely to result in a majority vote for secession.
But diplomats and analysts say there are doubts about whether Bashir’s regime will allow either to happen in a free and fair way. Khartoum is concerned about its access to oil wealth and has limited tolerance for dissent.
Opposition leaders are scheduled to meet on Saturday to review the status of elections and decide on whether it would take part in it, request a delay or boycott it.
The Sudanese parliament is set to debate the disputed laws despite the boycott by SPLM bloc.
On 23 December the National Assembly will end its works and dissolve its self ending the interim period established in accordance of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
However, till now key bills related to the southern Sudan and Abyei referendums and national security law besides other bills are not yet passed by the parliament.
(ST)