Arman calls for collective return of exiled activists to Sudan

January 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) Secretary General Yasser Arman has urged Sudanese activists abroad to launch a campaign of collective return to the country to challenge government threats against civil disobedient organizers.

Social media activists and opposition groups called on the Sudanese to engage in civil disobedience actions on November 27th and December 19th to protest against the recent austerity measures. The call was met with mixed response in the capital, Khartoum the various regions.

Commenting on recent arrest campaign against activists and opposition figures, Sudan’s presidential aide Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid on thursday said they wouldn’t allow any activities threatening security of the people, stressing the activists involved in such actions would be detained upon return to the country.

In an interview with radio Afia Darfur, Arman said the Sudanese in exile should challenge Hamid’s statements in which he threatened to take legal actions against social media activists and writers living abroad who supported the general strike.

He called on Sudanese nationals who hold foreign passports to initiate a campaign for collective return to Sudan according to an agreed upon timetable to challenge the regime and escalate mass action.

“If the regime took any action against them, it would face both internal and external resistance from countries which the returnees hold its travel documents and passports [because these countries] are required to protect them according to its internal laws … this would cause dual pressure [on the regime],” he said.

WAR IN YEMEN

Meanwhile, the rebel leader condemned participation of the government in the war in Yemen, saying the move would ruin Sudan’s relations with the Yemini people.

He described Sudan’s participation in the war in Yemen as “cheap mercenarism”, calling on the Gulf State to not support the regime in its domestic wars against the people in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Sudan participates with over 850 troops in the Saudi-led “Decisive Storm” against the Iranian-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The Sudanese military participation in the campaign reconciled President Omer al-Bashir’s regime with the Saudi government, and marked the divorce with Iran.
Arman further said the war in the three areas is “racist war”.

The Sudanese army has been fighting SPLM-N rebels in Blue Nile and South Kordofan since 2011 and a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.

(ST)