Sudan’s NCP says Geneva meeting aimed to revive charter with rebels
July 16, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The ruling National Congress Party (NCP) accused the opposition forces of supporting the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) saying they planned to sign an alliance with the rebels in a meeting organised in Geneva.
The accusation is the first official explanation of a travel ban imposed last Sunday on representatives of opposition parties, preventing them from participating in Geneva meeting with the SRF groups.
The NCF delegates were heading to Switzerland to participate in a dialogue over peaceful settlement of conflicts in Sudan with the SRF organized by the Geneva based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre)
The NCP secretary of organization, Hamid Sideeg, in press statements on Tuesday accused the opposition umbrella organization National Consensus Forces (NCF) of supporting the SRF and sending representatives to sign the New Dawn charter which he claimed was drafted by “Western intelligence”.
Last January the SRF and the NCF signed the ‘New Dawn’ charter in the Ugandan capital of Kampala before some NCF parties including the National Umma Party (NUP), Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) and Popular Congress Party (PCP), later backtracked on the deal.
The controversial charter included the decision to overthrow the regime of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), using both armed and peaceful means and replacing it with a broad-based transitional government for a four-year term.
The main opposition forces said hostile to the use of arms, also said the charter intends to establish a secular state they cannot endorse. They also objected additional points in the political declaration and vowed to keep discussions with the rebels over it.
The NCP official said that the NCF delegation was arranging to travel to Geneva to revive the New Dawn charter which they had disavowed earlier, pointing that the charter aims at fragmenting Sudan and blurring its identity.
“Why are they travelling to revive the charter after they had disavowed it?” he asked.
He further said that the trip of the NCF delegation to Geneva was part of a “Western plan” to unite the opposition forces and stressed that his party would not negotiate with arms bearers.
The HD Centre, which was involved in past efforts to resolve Darfur conflict and supported the of implementation Popular Consultation in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, says it encourages political dialogue between Sudanese actors to resolve the recurrent conflicts in Sudan.
The opposition alliance announced last June a 100-day plan to topple the regime through protests and civilian disobedience. The rebels said they support this plan and vowed to protect with weapons if needed.
(ST)