Beja Congress joins calls to postpone Sudan elections

December 13, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The leader of Beja Congress, Musa Mohamed Ahmed, called on the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to postpone general elections scheduled for April 2015 and to focus on ways to reach a comprehensive agreement on a permanent constitution.

According to Ashorooq TV, Ahmed who is also a presidential assistant told the members of his party in El Gadaref it is important to hold a national dialogue adding it would be an opportunity for the Sudanese to reach a consensus accommodating all the political forces.

Several political parties participating in the national dialogue from the government or the opposition parties have called for the postponement of the election and the release of freedoms but the president Omer Hassan al-Bashir rejects this calls.

The Beja Congress have participated in the NCP-led government since the signing of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement on 14 October 2006. Ahmed himself is a member of the national dialogue committee.

He called to release the political detainees including the head of the opposition National Consensus Forces (NCF) Farouk Abu Issa and the human rights prominent activist Amin Mekki Madani. The two lawyers are detained on 6 December after the signing of the Sudan Call in Addis Ababa.

He also called to authorise the return of the National Umma Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi and to allow him to participate in the national dialogue process. The Latter is based in Cairo since last August after the signing of Paris Declaration with the rebel groups.

He said the non implementation of the confidence building measures would affect the national dialogue and called to implement it stressing it is crucial for a conducive environment.

The Sudanese official vowed to hold a second donor conference for the east Sudan development and disclosed that Italy pledged to support this initiative.

(ST)