Sudan’s far right party calls for improved relations with S. Sudan
December 1, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Just Peace Forum (JPF) has announced that it has changed its policies towards South Sudan and is now calling for improved relations with the new nation.
The political group is headed by Al-Tayeb Mustafa, president Omer Hassan al-Bashir’s maternal uncle. Its main forum is the best-selling daily newspaper Al- Intibaha, which is notorious for its aggressive rhetoric.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, JPF spokesperson Satti Sorketti indicated the party had softened its position on South Sudan, stressing the country “is no longer an enemy to the Sudan”.
Sorketti said border issues and Sudan’s ongoing dispute over Abyei area with South Sudan should be put “in its true context”, also dismissing reports the new nation had played a role in forcing Mustafa out of Al-Intibaha.
Sudanese authorities banned Al-Intibaha after JPF spoke out against economic measures announced last September, condemning the bloody repression of anti-austerity protests that broke out following the decision. The paper was allowed to resume operations on 3 November on the condition that Mustafa step down as chairman.
Sorketti said that they had won the battle against the secularist parties and would now direct their efforts towards fighting corruption and highlighting the NCP’s inability to govern Sudan, saying the country is on the verge of collapse.
He claims the ruling party is targeting JPF, accusing it of orchestrating Mustafa’s removal in order to separate JPF from the newspaper.
“The law, state, politics, and rights have become [the] absolute property of the NCP”, he said.
He added that the NCP doesn’t seek to serve public interests, but aims to cling to power even at the expense of the country, accusing unnamed influential figures in the government of instigating current problems within the JPF, saying that they had incited “sacked members to split the JPF”.
The JPF official has also threatened to reveal the names of the influential NCP figures involved.
He claimed that some senior figures within the NCP deemed Mustafa more dangerous than the rebel Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), describing the alleged attack on the chairman as nothing more than a character assassination attempt.
“We will stick to Al-Intibaha to the last gasp”, Sorketti said.
JPF’s deputy chairman, Hassan Al-Tom, maintained the party would not abandon their ownership rights in Al-Intibaha, adding that it may be forced to resort to other options to finance the party’s activities, including launching a new newspaper.
(ST)