Sudan’s RNM says no return to the national dialogue without conducive environment
June 21, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The opposition Reform Now Movement (RNM) led by the former presidential adviser Ghazi Salah al-Din Attabani said its return to the government-led national dialogue is contingent upon implementation of its conditions.
In an interview with Sudan Tribune last week, the external relations official at the Popular Congress Party (PCP), Bashir Adam Rahama, expected that political parties which withdrew from the national dialogue including the RNM and the Just Peace Forum (JPF) would return to the process again, noting that leaders of those parties signalled readiness to join the dialogue particularly as there are no other options available.
However, the RNM political relations official, Osama Ali Tawfiq, said in a press release on Sunday the reasons which prompted them to suspend participation in the dialogue still exist, stressing the Sudanese crisis became more complex.
He accused the NCP of lack of seriousness towards the national dialogue, saying it only uses the dialogue as means to achieve its own objectives.
Tawfiq further said the NCP’s delay of the dialogue process is unjustified particularly after it held the general elections and formed the new cabinet.
He pointed the RNM sees the ruling party must abide by several conditions including inclusiveness of the process, declaring a cease-fire, creating a conducive climate , allowing freedoms, cancelling arbitrary measures, resorting to the judiciary and guaranteeing freedom of publication.
The RNM official also called for setting a timeframe for the beginning and end of the dialogue, suggesting the dialogue should be held as a round-table.
Bashir launched the national dialogue initiative more than a year and a half 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 the government refusal to create suitable atmosphere by releasing political prisoners, ensuring freedoms, and postponement of elections.
The rebel groups and the opposition alliance of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) refused to join the process from the beginning while the National Umma Party (NUP) led by al-Sadiq al-Mahdi withdrew from the process in protest of al-Mahdi’s arrest in May 2014.
Later on, several political parties including the RNM, JPF 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.
On 16 July, Sudan’s foreign minister Ibrahim Ghandour, told a visiting German diplomat that national dialogue will resume after the holy month of Ramadan with the participation of all parties committed to dialogue as means for resolving issues of contention.
(ST)