Sudan’s Bashir welcomes Mahdi’s call for inclusive dialogue: presidential aide

October 1, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir has welcomed a call for a comprehensive and inclusive dialogue recently launched by the leader of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) Sadiq al-Mahdi, said a presidential assistant on Thursday.

In a speech from Cairo to his supporters by telephone on the occasion of Eid al-Adha celebration, Sadiq al-Mahdi welcomed the two-month ceasefire announced by the President Omer Hassan al-Bashir and called him to accept an inclusive process involving the parties, armed movements and to create the needed conditions to ensure its success.

Abdel Rahaman al-Mahdi who was recently in Cairo where his father and NUP leader resides met Thursday with President al-Bashir to discuss the national dialogue process and the ongoing efforts to ensure the participation of all the political forces.

After the meeting, al-Mahdi junior told the official news agency SUNA that al-Bashir welcomed the call and expressed hope that “this appeal expresses the support of all the opposition forces for an inclusive conference after creating a conducive environment.”

Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) officials officials held several meetings with the NUP leader to convince him to resume its participation in the national dialogue after suspending it as a result of his arrest for one month in June 2014.

NCP officials seek to cast doubt on the credibility of al-Mahdi’s allies particularly the rebel groups of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and to persuade him to return to Sudan. But NUP leaders insists on the need to implement an African Union roadmap for peace and democratic reforms and to hold a pre-dialogue meeting in Addis Ababa.

The presidential assistant said a successful national dialogue process requires confidence building between all parties, and to meet both (armed and political) opposition groups abroad.

He said the resolutions of the national dialogue conference should be consensual or with a majority of 90% of the participants. Also he stressed on the need to ensure freedoms in the country during the internal process.

Khartoum refuses to involve in the national dialogue the head of African Union High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) saying it must remain entirely in national hands.

In accordance with a road map endorsed by the African Union Peace and Security Council, Thabo Mbeki has to organize a national dialogue preparatory meeting at the headquarters of the African Union In Addis Ababa.

(ST)