Sudan’s PCP says Khartoum may soon come under attack
March 20, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese capital Khartoum may come under attack in the coming days, an official with the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) said today.
The PCP official said the situation now requires confronting the realities and not “burying heads in the sand”. He called for revising government policies and listening to the voice of reason to deflect dangers facing the country.
Three of Darfur’s main rebel groups along with the Sudan people Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) formed the Sudan Revolutionary Fund (SRF) with the stated goal of toppling the regime in Khartoum. It also declared that they will carry operations in all of Sudan in a war of attrition before marching on Khartoum.
Last Sunday the spokesman of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad said they are monitoring SPLM-N movements for a fresh attack in South Kordofan but he did not speak of any threats to Khartoum.
In May 2008, the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) launched a surprise attack on the capital before being repelled. JEM is also part of the SRF.
Khartoum is battling rebels in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan amid accusations by the Sudanese government that Juba is aiding the armed movements.
In a related issue, the PCP politburo chief Kamal Omer said he expects no meeting between the party’s leader Hassan al-Turabi and president Omer Hassan al-Bashir as part of an ongoing initiative to unite Islamists.
Omer said the ruling party always seeks reconciliation when faced with big crises. He added that a Turabi-Bashir meeting can take place only if the latter agrees to step down and hand over power.
The PCP official noted that his party endorsed regime change as a strategic choice. Omer accused the ruling party of destroying the Islamic agenda in Sudan through its policies.
Turabi, who was close to President Bashir before a bitter power struggle and split in 1999/2000, has been in and out of jail since he formed his Popular Congress Party. He is accused by Sudanese authorities of being the mastermind behind JEM.
(ST)