Sudanese president to issue decisions to enhance the national dialogue: NCP
September 21, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – President Omer Hassan al-Bashir would soon announce new measures to promote efforts for creating conducive climate to ensure success of the national dialogue, said the ruling party
NCP deputy chairman and presidential assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid told reporters following the meeting that the leadership office was reassured on the ongoing arrangements for the official inauguration of the dialogue conference on October 10th.
He said the leadership office has endorsed decisions of the dialogue coordination body known as 7+7 regarding the agenda and the opening session of the national dialogue conference.
According to Hamid, the meeting approved the entire moves made by the 7+7 committee including its decision that dialogue must be an exclusive Sudanese process and should be held inside the country.
“No [opposition] party will participate in a preparatory meeting outside Sudan as long as the those parties are present inside the country and allowed to carry out their [political] work,” he added.
It should be mentioned that the Sudanese government and the 7+7 committee reject the preparatory meeting proposed by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to facilitate the dialogue.
Hamid further said that the meeting underscored the need to continue efforts and contacts to secure participation of all political forces in the conference including those outside Sudan.
He pointed out that the meeting approved decisions of president Bashir to declare a cease fire and offer the necessary guarantees for the rebel leaders to participate in the dialogue inside Sudan.
On August 20th, Bashir said he is ready to declare a two-month ceasefire in Blue Nile, South Kordofan states and Darfur region and renewed his offer of amnesty for the rebels who are willing to join the national dialogue.
Also, last week, the rebel umbrella Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) expressed its willingness to sign a cessation of hostilities for six months in the Blue Nile, South Kordofan and Darfur.
The Sudanese army has been fighting Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states since 2011 and the armed movements in Darfur since 2003.
Al-Bashir proposed in January 2014 to hold a national dialogue to end armed conflicts and to reach a political consensus on a permanent constitution in Sudan.
The imitative was welcomed by the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP), National Umma Party, Reform Now Movement. However, the NUP and RNM decided to suspend their participation following the arrest of the NUP leader Sadiq al-Mahdi in May 2014.
Since the NUP and RNM joined calls by the alliance opposition National Consensus Forces (NCF) and the SRF to create a conducive environment through the end of war, release of freedoms and liberation of political detainees.
(ST)