Islamist opposition leader calls on Bashir to apologize to Sudanese people

October 22, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The leader of the Popular Congress Party (PCP), Hassan al-Turabi warned the government against a buildup of anger among ordinary citizens as a result of worsening economic situation which he said could lead to a violent uprising.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune from Khartoum, the Islamist opposition figure said that people are surrounded by daily struggles of water and electricity shortages as well as soaring food prices.

Turabi advised the government to be more aware of people’s grievances and avoid a “destructive” revolution, particularly if motivated by the economy.

“If there were political oppositions, resistance, and revolution then it would have been normal, but when the economic factor kicks it becomes very dangerous,” the PCP leader said.

“The feeling by people of class [differences] and [rich-poor] gap would make them break and destroy things, as they do now in Europe,” Turabi added.

He likened any future outbreak of violent protests to the ones that occurred in Khartoum following the death of Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) chairman John Garang in August 2005.

Commenting on recent growing wave of demonstrations in Sudan, Turabi denied that the opposition were behind it as the government claims adding that the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) “is deceiving itself.”

He slammed remarks by NCP officials, accusing Turabi’s party of being willing to forge alliances “with the devil,” to topple the regime headed by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir. The ruling party also said that the PCP is seeking foreign funding for that purpose.

“They themselves [the NCP] used external help…..[they] are looking for money and we know who they went to,” Turabi said.

“In this logic we should condemn Libyan rebels and decry opposition in Syria and Yemen,” he said.

Turabi urged Bashir to learn lessons from other rulers in the region who faced revolutions and were either toppled or close to being removed. He said the Sudanese ruler must make a public apology to the Sudanese people on what his government committed in Darfur.

But he cautioned that in the likely event that the people accept his apology this will not save Bashir from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has charged him with ten counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

He also commented on Bashir’s ability to visit several African countries that are ICC members without being arrested saying that leaders of these nations lack criteria of democracy and justice.

“Now each one of them fears for himself,” Turabi said.

So far Kenya, Chad, Djibouti and Malawi are the African ICC members that have allowed Bashir to visit without apprehending him.

The 79-year-old leader masterminded the Islamist-backed coup that brought Sudan president Omer Al-Bashir to power in 1989.

In 1999, however, he was ousted in an internal power struggle that saw his former acolytes in the Islamic movement turn against him. He later split to form the Popular Congress Party and joined the ranks of the opposition against Bashir’s regime.

(ST)