Umma leader distances his party from Fadil’s participation in internal dialogue process

October 5, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The leader of the National Umma Party (NUP), Sadiq al-Mahdi slammed his cousin and political rival Mubarak al-Fadil, saying he is used by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) to divide the largest opposition party after announcing his participation in the National Dialogue Conference.

Al-Fadil who had been a presidential aide in 2002, recently again has improved his relations with the NCP and announced his participation in the government-led dialogue process as leading figure of the opposition NUP.

Considering that his move would create troubles and confuse the party’s supporters, al-Mahdi who is allied with the armed groups since August 2014, issued a statement from his residence in Cairo distancing the NUP from the activities of al-Fadil saying he is no longer a member of the party.

” Mubarak al-Fadil is not a member of the National Umma Party. He is not entitled to speak in his name, and we will take the necessary measures to protect the National Umma Party from this intrusion,” said al-Mahdi in a statement he released on this respect.

He further said that al-Fidal had been a leading member but he violated the party constitution, formed a separate party and joint the ruling regime. Therefore he lost his membership in the NUP.

Mahdi also announced that an ad hoc legal commission formed by the NUP political party decided to reach the Political Parties Council to alter it that al-Fadi is not authorized to use the name of the party in his activities.

In 2002 al-Fadil defected from the NUP and formed the Umma Reform and Renewal Party (URRP). He was of the view at the time that the NUP should take part in the government while al-Mahdi rejected any participation in a non-democratically elected government.

Following what, he was appointed as a presidential adviser for economic affairs in 2002 and several members of his party were also appointed in various positions in the government.

However, he was sacked in 2004 after a dispute with President Omer Hassan al-Bashir and was arrested in 2007 with a number of retired army generals and accused of attempting to stage a coup. He was released five months later.

For his part, Mubarak al-Fadil said in a statement issued on Wednesday, that Sadiq al-Mahdi felt “stuck” after he handed over the reins of the party to the SPLM-N.

“The national dialogue is an international and regional initiative. Also a higher committee will be formed to follow up the implementation of its recommendations. This body will first prepare a constitution, implement its content, and followed by a national unity government,” he added to explain his participation in the dialogue process.

He further added that his participation would not exclude al-Mahdi or prevent him from joining the next government.

Al-Fadil urged him to return to Sudan, saying that his presence abroad is “meaningless”

(ST)