Sudan’s Bashir says he doesn’t fear dethroning as revolutions sweep region

February 13, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir on Sunday reiterated that he is not fearful of facing the same fate of the Tunisian and Egyptian leaders who were thrown out by unprecedented popular uprisings over the course of weeks in both instances.

Bashir and other Sudanese officials have gone on the offensive in the media to downplay suggestions that the country could face similar unrest giving reasons that ranged from having a situation where people are enjoying vast political freedoms with no corruption to being a country that implements Islamic laws contrary to Western and Israeli desires.

“We are not afraid, we do not prevent the people from expressing their opinions, but we listen to them and we want to hear their demands and their legitimate aspirations,” Bashir told supporters at the inauguration of the Al Dabba-Argy bridge in the Northern state.

“We are with freedom for everybody…whoever stood with us or stood against us,” he said.

He added that freedom is the basis and “driving force” to the nation and asserted that his National Congress Party (NCP) got “full authorization” from the people in last year’s elections.

The Sudanese president hailed the Egyptian youths who utilized social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to coordinate their mass demonstrations.

“We tell the youths of Egypt congratulations to you and also to the youths of Tunisia…the youth of Sudan is your reserve,” Bashir said.

A political analyst speaking to Sudan Tribune in Khartoum today said Bashir’s statement today reflect a growing concern over the possibility of being ousted in a similar manner to his ex-peers in Tunisia and Egypt.

“The deteriorating economic conditions of people in Sudan is making Bashir and the NCP wary that one they wake up and find themselves thrown out. The recent events [in Tunisia and Egypt] proved that these things could materialize in matter of days,” said the analyst who asked not to be named fearing retaliation.

“His frequent mention of Facebook indicates his fear of this tool he probably knows little about except that it managed to topple two powerful regimes with better international standing that Sudan. Bashir himself has a personal fear related to his arrest warrant [from the international Criminal Court,” he added .

Sudanese youths attempted to stage mass demonstrations through Facebook last month but was met with little success as anti-riot police quickly managed to quell the protests and jailed dozens of the demonstrators.

This week Bashir instructed that authorities pay special attention to extending electricity to rural areas so that his supporters can utilize Facebook to counter opposition in cyber space.

Today he made another mention Facebook in his pledges for economic development.

“We will bring you internet, computers and Facebook as well,” Bashir said.

The remarks comes contrary to those made by the leader of one of Sudan’s neighbors Muammar Al-Gaddafi who recently warned his people against using Facebook to disrupt security ahead of mobilization by Libyans to take down the streets.

Hadi Shalluf, a Libyan opposition figure living in Paris, said that Gaddafi is “terrified” over the prospects of an uprising in Libya.

He said that any revolt in Libya would not be as neat and bloodless as the ones in Egypt and Tunisia.

“Libyan educational standards and literacy rates are nowhere near those in Egypt and Tunisia so people would not deal with the regime in a civilized way. They will be violent,” Shalluf said.

“The Libyan society is based on tribal affiliations and Gaddafi belongs to a small tribe so he had to threaten the other tribes with swift action should they take part in any demonstrations,” he added.

The Libyan lawyer noted that Gaddafi’s sons control important political, security and economic organs of the state to guarantee the regime’s safety on top of the billions of dollars deposited in banks abroad in their names.

He said that the safest way for Gaddafi to avoid ouster is to step down and allow an interim government to take over to prepare Libya for democratic transformation.

However, he acknowledged that Gaddafi is unlikely to make any such initiative particularly in light of his public remarks in which he expressed disapproval with the overthrow of president Zain Al-Abdeen Ben Ali in Tunisia.

Jordan and the Palestinian Authority have both sacked their cabinets in response to growing street pressure observing radical changes elsewhere. In Yemen and Sudan the presidents have called on opposition to join in unity governments.

Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has ruled Yemen for 32 years last week promised to step down at the end of his term in 2013. This month also, the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for a two-term limit to be placed on his office.

The Sudanese president has vowed in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV last month to finish his five year term but suggested that he would not want to go beyond that since he staged a coup in 1989.

(ST)