SPLM-N Rift: Al-Hilu says he enjoys support of the army
August 12, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North led by Abdel-Aziz al-Hilu said it enjoys the support of the Movement’s army describing any attempts to ignore al-Hilu’s leadership as “great betrayal” for the New Sudan project.
The SPLM-N is now divided into two factions: one in the Nuba Mountains led by al-Hilu and the other in the Bluee Nile State led by Malik Agar. The rift emerged several months ago over the right of self-determination and other issues.
On Tuesday, al-Hilu issued decisions to restructure the army leadership and appointed a committee to organise an extraordinary national convention. He further reinstated all the former leading members who had been sacked from the group or their leading positions.
Responding to these decisions, SPLMN-Agar accused al-Hilu of undermining ongoing efforts to reunite the group and announced they would build a separate structure.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Friday, SPLMN-al-Hilu official
spokesperson Arnu Ngutullu Lodi said his faction’s leadership “derives its legitimacy from the decisions of the representatives of the people who enjoy full support from the Movement’s army”.
He added any attempt to ignore the people’s decisions is considered a great betrayal of the New Sudan project and the principles of democracy.
Lodi pointed out that the “interim decisions” came to fill the vacuum created by the absence of national regulatory institutions.
“These decisions will pave the road to holding the extraordinary national conference mandated to approve and adopt the basic organizational documents (the manifesto and the Constitution) and the election of leadership and the formation of organizational structures at all levels,” he said.
He warned that SPLM-N base against what he described as “existing plan” that has been developed long time ago by some members to build “parallel institutions” and take the movement into a different direction that is against its vision, goals and means.
“This group continued to describe the corrective path of the revolution of the marginalized people which is led by the SPLM-N as racist and regional in an attempt to ignite tribal and religious sedition among the various components of the Sudanese society,” he said alluding to the SPLMN-Agar faction.
Lodi added the members of the Movement adopt the New Sudan project on individual and voluntarily not ethnic or regional basis in order to achieve its noble visions and objectives.
He said the decisions taken by the Nuba Mountain and Blue Nile Liberation Councils have met aspirations of the marginalized people and supported their legitimate right for self-determination.
The Sudanese army has been fighting the SPLM-N in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, also known as the Two Areas since 2011.
Talks between the two sides for a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian access are stalled since last August.
The Sudanese government called on the SPLM-N factions to resume peace talks before the end of next October. But the two factions, however, said the African Union mediation didn’t approach them to discuss the resumption of peace talks.
Al-Hilu’s group just announced a six-month cessation of hostilities nevertheless it has frozen any talks with the government for the time being.
SPLMN-Agar, for its part, said they are only ready for talks on the humanitarian assistance but refuse any discussions on the political agenda.
(ST)