Sudan’s NUP threatens to boycott dialogue preparatory meeting
March 18, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s opposition National Umma Party (NUP) has underscored adherence to convene the upcoming preparatory meeting between the government and opposition forces in Addis Ababa ahead of the elections scheduled in April.
The “Sudan Call” forces entrusted the rebel umbrella Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and NUP to represent them at this preparatory conference. The National Consensus Forces (NCF) refused to participate in the meeting.
On Sunday the Sudan People’s Liberation People -North (SPLM-N) which is a member of the rebel alliance, said they would not participate in the preparatory meeting if it is not held before the general elections. The group accused Khartoum of disregarding the concessions they made in Berlin Declaration even if the peace talks are stalled.
NUP deputy chairman, Merriam al-Mahdi, declared in a press conference in Khartoum on Wednesday they also would not participate in the preparatory meeting if elections were held on before April elections.
“If we failed [to stop elections] we would stop any talks with the [ruling] National Congress Party (NCP) in this regard”, she added.
She expected the Addis Ababa preparatory meeting will be held as soon as possible, pointing that all opposition forces can take part in it.
During Berlin meeting held during the last week of February, the opposition alliance refused to take part in the meeting on the requirements and procedures of the dialogue process saying they cannot move in that direction and their leader Farouk Abu Issa is in jail. They further accepted that the NUP and the SRF represent the “Sudan Call” forces and vowed to join the internal process once the confidence building measures are implemented.
Al-Mahdi recalled that her party is entrusted by the NCF and the “Sudan Call” forces to represent them in the preparatory meeting.
She denied existence of military coordination among the “Sudan Call” forces, dismissing any talk about military declaration among these forces as “baseless”.
The NUP official was alluding to a statement issued by the SPLM-N spokesperson, Arnu Ngutulu Lodi, on Friday in which he confirmed attacks on the position of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) in Kalogi and other areas in South Kordofan state. He further said these assaults came in support of a political campaign launched by the opposition to boycott the election across the country.
However, the SPLM-N secretary general Yasir Arman on Saturday issued a clarification saying these attacks are part of a defensive campaign undertaken by the rebel fighters to counter the summer military campaign launched on the directives of President Omer al-Bashir.
NUP REFUSES RECONCILIATION WITH BASHIR
The leader of the largest opposition party, Sadiq al-Mahdi is residing in Cairo since last August when he signed Paris Declaration with the rebel group. Bashir personally criticised him and pledged to arrest him when he returns to Khartoum.
NUP secretary-general, Sara Nugud Allah, for her part, downplayed government efforts led by the NUP chief’s son and presidential assistant, Abdel-Rahman al-Mahdi, to convince the party leader, al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, to return to Sudan.
She affirmed that al-Mahdi will return to the country only if the government and opposition reach an agreement through the Addis Ababa preparatory meeting.
“Abdel-Rahman had exhausted us and exhausted himself and he only represents himself not the NUP. If they [government] had agreements with the party leader, al-Sadiq al-Mahdi let them present those agreements,” she added when a journalist said Bashir said he has a written document about alleged consultations with Sadiq al-Mahdi.
Nugud Allah emphasised the NUP will not engage in bilateral dialogue with the NCP, saying the latter actively seeks to strike a deal with the NUP leader.
She added that ruling party officials dispatched the NCP political secretary, Mustafa Osman Ismail and the former presidential candidate, Kamil Idriss to meet with al-Mahdi.
NUP deputy chairman, Fadl Allah Burma Nasser reiterated his party’s position to boycott the elections, stressing that it will further complicates the Sudanese crisis.
“How elections could be held while fighting is going on in half of the country and the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the electoral law are controlled by the NCP”, he exclaimed
He stressed that government insistence on holding elections in April will undermine all efforts made to convene the national dialogue.
(ST)