Opposition forum calls for rejecting dialogue with Sudanese regime
September 14, 2013 (PARIS) – The opposition Sudan’s Broad National Front (BNF) has rejected any dialogue with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), stressing that opposition forces should only work to bring down the regime.
In a meeting in Paris with a limited number of activists and opposition members on Saturday attended by Sudan Tribune, Hassanein pointed out that the different peace agreements prolonged the life of the regime and broke its internal and international isolation.
The opposition figure was referring to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 and peace accords signed by the Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi in 2006, Eastern Sudan Front in the same year, and Liberation and Justice Movement of Tijani El-Sissi in 2011 and the Justice and Equality Movement of Mohamed Bashar last April.
“Look and see what did the negotiations on Darfur crisis, they only brought divisions among the rebel groups and failure”, he said.
The BNF which is a political forum gathering groups and individuals opposed to the regime, was established in London on 21 October 2011. The front is preparing to hold its second convention under the slogan of unity of opposition and rebel forces to overthrow the regime and reject any dialogue with it.
Hassanein said the opposition should not rely much on the role of the international community, stressing that its purposes may not meet with the objectives of the Sudanese forces for peace, justice, equality, and democracy in their country.
He went further to say that international community was keen to refer the case of Darfur crimes to the International Criminal Court (ICC) but after that they refuse to collaborate with the international justice to arrest those who are indicted, including president Omer Al-Bashir.
“For them (the international community), a wanted president is better than an arrested one”, he said adding such position will allow them to put pressure on the regime to achieve their own objectives and policies.
Hassanein said the coalition of the opposition parties inside the country, the National Consensus Forces (NCF), or the alliance of rebel groups, Sudanese Revolutionary Forces (SRF), should gather all together under the umbrella of the BNF which calls for a secular federal state where the country is divided into six regions.
Hassanein delegation includes Mohamed Abu Amna, a leading member of a faction of the Beja Congress opposed to the peace agreement of October 2006, Suhair Sharrif, Abdel Hamid Khaled and Hashim Alsir.
Abu Amna stressed during the discussions that having regional demands does not contradict with the national struggle for a democratic regime. He further said that political groups and movements like the Beja Congress should be seen as regional forces with only a limited political scope.
The BNF delegation met with officials at the French foreign affairs ministry, French political parties and will hold a public meeting on Sunday in Paris.
(ST)