Sudan’s dialogue conference won’t be extended: dialogue body

December 18, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s dialogue body known as 7+7 has stressed that the national dialogue conference won’t be extended saying it would wrap up on January 10th.

The government-led national dialogue conference was inaugurated in Khartoum on October 10th amid large boycott from the major political and armed opposition.

Member of the 7+7 mechanism Faisal Hassan Ibrahim described the conference as a new phase in Sudan’s political life, saying it offers an opportunity to arrive at common principles that lead to the advancement of the Sudanese nation and promote its ties with the regional and international community.

He stressed in a press conference Friday that the meeting of the political and armed groups to discuss Sudan’s issues including the constitution would create an effective political system that overcomes crises and challenges facing the nation in areas of freedoms, economy, governance, identity and peace and unity.

Ibrahim pointed out that the general secretariat of the dialogue conference has documented the minutes of the sessions by audio and video, saying this high degree of transparency has enhanced its credibility among the skeptics.

He stressed that there is no intention to extend the dialogue conference, saying it is expected to wind up on January 10th, 2016.

Ibrahim pointed that several opposition activists have arrived in Khartoum to participate in the conference including Taragie Mustafa, expecting that several members of the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) would soon join the conference.

“The national dialogue [conference] which is being currently held Khartoum coincides with the anniversary of Sudan’s independence. The dialogue recommendations would represent the true meaning of the independence,” he said.

For his part, the secretary general of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) and member of the 7+7 mechanism Kamal Omer said the conference had faced the challenge to achieve political consensus in order to resolve the country’s crises, noting the conference would reach an agreement on a permanent constitution.

He said the ongoing dialogue would achieve security and stability in the country, saying the holdout parties have missed the opportunity to participate in the conference.

Omer further described the dialogue conference as the “true independence” of Sudan, saying dialogue would continue until it achieves the national consensus.

The rapporteur of the general secretariat Omer Haydar for his part reviewed the deliberations of the six committees of the conference, pointing the participants included 80 political parties, 29 armed groups and 48 national figures.

He said the committees have so far discussed 420 working papers besides listening to several lectures by academics and experts on the various issues of the dialogue.

(ST)