Sudan’s NCP welcomes Berlin declaration of opposition forces
March 9, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) formally welcomed the Berlin Declaration signed by political and armed opposition forces under the auspices of the German government on February 27th.
The text called for stopping the war and allowing the unconditional flow of aid and unleashing public freedoms and release of political detainees.
The NCP said last week that it will be subject the accord to a thorough review before taking a position on it, and asserted that it was close to the consultations that took place in Berlin.
“After an in-depth study, the [NCP] political sector extended its thanks and appreciation to the German government and expressed its understanding for the basis on which it called for this meeting”.
“The NCP emphasises its firm stance on the national dialogue which includes everyone without exception in order to reach a consensus which supports security, stability and peaceful exchange of power in Sudan”.
The statement said it welcomes any meetings or understandings that would lead to everyone’s participation in the national dialogue “as has happened before in Addis Ababa as long as these meetings have set preconditions that are well prepared for”.
“The roadmap approved by the General Assembly of the national dialogue is the basis for any meetings or understandings aimed at getting everyone involved in the national dialogue which is based in Sudan”.
A senior delegation from the German Foreign Ministry which visited Khartoum last week held talks with senior government officials on the Berlin Declaration.
The ruling party’s position contrasted sharply with its hostile stance on ‘Sudan Call’ accord which was signed by National Consensus Forces (NCF), National Umma Party (NUP), and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) in Addis Ababa last December.
The signatories Sudan Call were detained upon their return to Khartoum from Addis Ababa.
Sudan’s president Omer Hassan al-Bashir launched the national dialogue initiative a year ago in which he urged opposition parties and rebels alike to join the dialogue table to discuss all the pressing issues.
But the initiative faced serious setbacks after rebel groups and leftist parties refused to join and after the National Umma Party (NUP) led by al-Sadiq al-Mahdi withdrew from the process in protest of al-Mahdi’s brief arrest last May.
Later on, several political parties including the Reform Now Movement (RNM) led by Ghazi Salah al-Din and the Just Peace Forum (JPF) led by al-Tayeb Mustafa and the Alliance of the Peoples’ Working Forces (APWF) announced they had decided to suspend participation in the national dialogue until the requirements of a conducive environment are met.
(ST)