More internal and external pressures on Khartoum are needed for successful dialogue: SPLM-N
August 29, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM)’s secretary-general Yasir Arman said that the Sudanese government will not accept to implement the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) in favour of peace and democratic reforms without more internal and external pressures.
In written statements he extended to Sudan Tribune on Saturday, Arman welcomed the AUPSC’s decision, adding that it does not contradict with the opposition’s agenda for popular uprising and armed struggle to achieve political change in Sudan.
“If the regime does not feel the uprising is knocking its doors and that military action is shaking its forts, it would not accept a comprehensive peaceful solution or a constitutional national dialogue,” he said.
Arman said further that issues including calls to stop war, humanitarian access to affected civilians, comprehensive solution and the constitutional conference should serve for political mobilization and to attract all those who are interested by change even the Islamist seeking for new agenda based on the recognition of the other.
“We will not accept partial solutions and will not give up the demands of our people for change. Also we do not reject any new opportunity leading to national constitutional dialogue providing that it should be a balanced process and not controlled by the National Congress Party (NCP),” he stressed.
Sudanese government last March refused to participate in a two-day pre-dialogue meeting to discuss and agree on procedural matters relating to the dialogue process which should be held inside the country.
At the time, the government said hold the meeting two weeks before the elections will send a negative message to the voters and vowed to take part in such meeting after the elections.
However, President Omer al-Bashir told the chief mediator Thabo Mbeki who is tasked with the facilitation of the national dialogue that the government can resume talks with the rebel groups before they join the constitutional process.
In a meeting held on 3 August, Bashir further said that the holdout opposition political parties can join the process stressing that his government would not concede to their demands for a conducive environment and will not wait them.
National Umma Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi on Friday said the opposition Sudan Call forces are willing to participate in the internal process but stressed they the dialogue should not be controlled by the ruling NCP as it is the case now and also insisted on the need to implement a conducive environment before.
Arman called to involve regional bodies like IGAD, and countries including Chad, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), permanent members of the Security Council, Germany and Norway.
He added that the international participants will recommend after the process to normalize Sudan relations ending the current isolation of the country.
(ST)