Sudan rebel groups form leadership body
February 25, 2012 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) – a coalition of rebel groups – formally announced this week the composition of its Leadership Council after the election of Malik Agar of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement North Sector (SPLM-N) as chairman of the rebel alliance.
The coalition includes the SPLM-N, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the two factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur (SPM-AW) and Minni Minnawi (SLM-MM). The SRF calls for the toppling the Sudanese government by all the political and military means.
In a press release signed by SRF spokesperson Abu Elgasim al-Haj, the alliance said that Abdel Wahid al-Nur was elected as a Vice-Chairman of the Leadership Council and leads the political sector, Minni Minnawi is Vice Chairman of Leadership Council and responsible for the coalitions finances, JEM’s Gibril Ibrahim was elected Vice President for external relations.
Abdel Wahid, according to the spokesperson, will be seconded in his office by Buthaina Ibrahim Dinar (SPLM-N), Elryaih Mahmoud (SLM-MM), Ahmed Adam Bakheit (JEM) and Mustafa Sharif Mohamed (SLM-AW). While Minnawi will manage the financial sector with the support of three members of from JEM, SLM-AW and SLM-MM.
The external affairs sector of Gibril Ibrahim includes, Yasir Arman (SPLM-N) as secretary for foreign affairs, Trayo Ahmed Ali (SPM-MM) for humanitarian affairs, Tahir Faki (JEM) without a specific portfolio, besides the spokesperson who represents SLM-AW.
Khartoum accuses South Sudan of sponsoring the meeting and alleges it was held in Juba, where Ibrahim Gambari, Darfur peace mediator ad interim, was this week to press the south Sudanese government to encourage the rebel groups to join the peace process. But Juba dismissed the accusations. The rebels say they met in SPLM-N held areas in South Kordofan.
Members of what is now the SPLM-N fought with South Sudan’s SPLM during the civil war that led to the 2005 deal allowing South Sudan to chose independence last year.
The leadership of the rebel alliance is clearly dominated by the SPLM-N, which also took the command of military operations. Abdel Aziz al-Hilu is confirmed as commander in chief.
Different rebel sources close to the meeting admitted the existence of some divergences among the SRF members, as JEM felt that the two SLM factions were acting to prevent it from taking any leading role representing its preeminence in Darfur like the position of commander in chief which it coveted.
Minnawi also was not happy with the financial sector, which would not allow him to play political role satisfying his personal ambition.
However, all the parties agree that the most important is to work together and workout the necessary plans on the political, organisational, and military levels to topple the Khartoum regime. “We are resolved to work hand to hand for the salute of the Sudanese people,” said a rebel official who minimised the divergences.
The rebel groups said they are disposed to work with all the other opposition parties and called on all the opposition forces to join them stressing they have no regional but national objectives to establish a democratic government where justice and liberties should be respected throughout the country.
In Khartoum, the political parties seem not very enthusiastic to join the rebel alliance, at least publicly. The opposition Uma National Party of the former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi has showed his opposition to the armed struggle to remove the regime.
However, the ruling National Congress Party accuses the Popular Congress Party of Hassan al-Turabi of working with the rebels, but the Islamist opposition party rejected these accusations.
(ST)