Nafie accuses opposition of conspiring with South Sudan
February 7, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The vice-president of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and presidential assistant, Nafie Ali Nafie, has accused the opposition of seeking to coordinate activities with South Sudan in order to overthrow the government in Khartoum.
In statements reported on Tuesday by the Sudanese Media Center (SMC), a website linked to the country’s intelligence apparatus, Nafie said that the authorities were aware of plans by some opposition parties and figures to exploit what he termed as the conspiracy led by South Sudan’s government to execute Western agendas aiming to change the government in Khartoum.
He further said that the opposition forces in question are preparing to play the role defined for them by the West and return to rule the country.
The hard-line NCP figure threatened that the government would show no laxity in squelching activities of “espionage and mercenarism”
Sudan and South Sudan have been exchanging accusations of supporting rebel and opposition groups on each other’s territories since the south seceded and formed an independent country in July last year.
The NCP is highly suspicious of any links between Sudanese opposition groups and the southern government. Sudanese security authorities recently detained a senior member of the opposition Popular Congress Party upon his return from a visit to South Sudan.
Turning to South Sudan, Nafie accused the government in Juba of supporting the Sudanese opposition and conducting a media, legal and economic campaign against Khartoum with help from Western organizations and embassies.
Nafie warned that the government would respond strongly to any attempts to sabotage Sudanese economy or destroy oil infrastructure facilities, referring to the support Juba is allegedly providing to the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North (SPLMN) whose fighters are battling government forces in regions along the contested borders with South Sudan.
(ST)