Opposition umbrella endorses “Sudan Call”, decides to popular mobilisation

December 25, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The alliance of opposition parties, National Consensus Forces (NCF) endorsed on Thursday the “Sudan Call” and decided to mobilise peaceful demonstrations to bring down the government of president Omer al-Bashir.

The political declaration, signed the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on 3 December, is the first agreement gathering all the opposition parties, civil society groups and the rebel coalition Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF).

The government which bans contacts with the rebel groups arrested NCF leader Farouk Abu Issa and the head of civil society groups Amin Mekki Madani on 6 December.

“The meeting endorsed the Sudan Call and decided to start immediately mobilisation and coordination to convert it into a mass grassroots’ movement to topple the regime of the National Congress Party (NCP),” said a statement issued by the opposition umbrella.

The meeting, held at the house of the former first Sudanese president Ismail al-Azhary, further agreed on the need to reach an agreement on a transitional government and to develop the Sudan Call to include the observations expressed by some of its political parties.

The NCF further called “to include the draft transitional constitution agreed by the NCF forces” to the signed declaration in order to make Sudan Call a comprehensive document before the national constitutional conference, the statement stressed.

In line with the national dialogue process, the government, rebel and opposition forces should participate in a constitutional conference, after the signing of security arrangements between the government and the SRF forces.

The Sudanese government criticised the Sudan Call saying it allows the rebel groups to control the “weak” opposition forces.

However, observers say it brings the armed groups to align themselves with the political opposition on the same political platform and prevent the government from shaking the spectre of rebels to scare the street and foil popular uprising.

The NCF forces further condemned the detention of its leader Abu Issa saying the arrest of “symbols of national struggle will not discourage them from mobilising the stress to sweep the regime of hunger and repression”.

The German government which seeks to facilitate the efforts of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) will organise a meeting for the Sudanese rebel groups and opposition parties.

The meeting is expected to take place in January before the resumption of talks between the government and the SPLM-N on the Two Areas.

(ST)