Sudan’s dialogue will witness positive developments: Bashir

October 23, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Addressing the 4th convention of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday, president Omer al-Bashir said the national dialogue initiative will witness important developments in the coming period, while the presence of the opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi created a surprise and triggered calls for unity of Sudanese Islamists.

Opposition parties casted doubts on the seriousness of an initiative he launched last January for a national conference including opposition and rebel groups to end war and agree on democratic reforms.

Since, the slow progress in the dialogue process, the government wilfulness to implement confidence building measures and its rejection to postpone the elections of next year, all these reasons pushed to believe that the regime is manoeuvring to divide the opposition and ensure its continuity in power.

However, Bashir in his remarks for the first time confirmed that his party accepted the agreement on the national dialogue and constitutional process that the national dialogue committee reached in Addis Ababa with the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and rebel groups.

The meeting of the national dialogue general assembly, which will be held on the second of November, will endorse the roadmap (agreed between the forces of dialogue), and Addis Ababa document which paves the way for dialogue with the armed groups, Bashir said.

He added that the general assembly will also consider ways to address humanitarian issues in the country and also will consider determining the date of the inclusive dialogue conference which includes all these parties.

He called on the rebel groups to participate in the national dialogue and renewed his commitment to reach the goals of the dialogue process “as long as the parties demonstrate the objectivity” and prioritize the national interests, he stressed.

Earlier this month, the AUHIP called the rebel groups in Blue Nile South Kordofan and Darfur to hold separate talks on a cessation of hostilities agreement with the government delegations. But the latter demanded to delay the talks till the end of the NCP convention. While rebel groups said they expect a new military campaign before talks.

The convention will discuss the party’s performance during the past five years and define its strategy for the forthcoming period. Also, the four-day meeting is expected to nominate Bashir as its candidate for presidential election and to re-enthrone him as a chairman of the party.

The ruling party invited the main opposition parties to participate in the 4th convention. Sudan Tribune reporters noted that the seat of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) of Sadiq al-Mahdi remained empty during the opening session.

The NUP, Popular Congress Party (PCP) of Hassan al-Turabi and Reform Now Movement (RNM) of Ghazi Salah al-Din al-Attabani joined the national dialogue. But, Al-Mahdi’s detention the opposition party suspended its participation in the process.

TURABI CALLS FOR UNITY

The PCP leader Hassan al-Turabi called in his speech “for a dialogue that will pave the way for a national unity”, adding that this step will be the nucleus for a regional unity.

“The tribulations and machinations that surround the homeland have encouraged dialogue and consultation in order to unite,” he stressed.

His presence in the convention for the first time since the rift of 1999 between the party leadership, created a surprise and was positively perceived by the NCP members who shouted slogans in support of the unification of Sudanese Islamists.

Turabi called for a dialogue that ensures freedoms in the country and strengthening the cohesion of Sudan’s regions.

The PCP political secretary, Kamal Omer, on Thursday defended the support of his party for the national dialogue, stressing that does not means they accommodate the ruling party.

In a speech delivered at a meeting aiming to unite the Sudanese opposition held outside Khartoum, Omer pledged to defend the demand of the opposition parties for a genuine national dialogue, stressing their commitment to the opposition’s aspiration for a democratic rule in Sudan.

In a meeting held on Thursday, the opposition parties signed Tayba charter which provides the need to end armed conflicts and to establish a democratic regime in the country. The signatories also agreed to unify the positions of the political and rebel groups to achieve these goals.

(ST)