Sudanese President renews call for opposition to join national dialogue
September 26, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir Monday has reiterated his call to holdout political and armed opposition to join the national dialogue and renounce war.
In January 2014, al-Bashir launched the national dialogue initiative 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 in wake of the government’s refusal to create suitable atmosphere in the country leading several major participants to pull out. The dialogue conference was inaugurated in on October 10th, 2015 amid large boycott from the major political and armed opposition.
Al-Bashir, who received the recommendations of the societal dialogue on Monday, said Sudan is on the threshold of a new era characterized by harmony, love, peace and national reconciliation.
He vowed to implement the recommendations and include it in the comprehensive national document following the end of the dialogue conference on October 10th in order to achieve national and societal peace.
The Sudanese President pointed the national document will contain the recommendations of both political and societal dialogue besides the outcome of the state reform program.
“The national document would constitute the essential foundation upon which we will build the future of the country, draft a permanent constitution and achieve political stability and comprehensive renaissance,” he said.
Al-Bashir stressed the societal dialogue document has contained opinions of all components of the Sudanese people, pointing to the efforts made by the committees to represent a common national view on the desired objectives.
He pointed that the societal document has overcome all differences among Sudanese people to achieve societal and peaceful coexistence, describing it as a unique and unprecedented experience in Sudan’s history.
For his part, the chairman of the national committee for the societal dialogue Hussein Sulieman Abu Salih said they produced a document that could serve as a new social contract.
(ST)