Sudan’s Sufi sects support al-Bashir reelection in 2020

November 10, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Sufi orders have announced support for President Omer al-Bashir’s reelection for another term in 2020 praising his significant efforts to unify Muslims in Sudan.

Al-Bashir’s term ends in 2020 and he couldn’t run for office again according to the constitution. However, some voices within the ruling party and the government have recently called for amending the constitution to allow him to run for the presidency again.

Speaking before a meeting with the leaders of Sufi orders on Thursday evening, al-Bashir said Sudan has experienced the biggest targeting by foreign powers, pointing to various kinds of conspiracies and sanctions that have been imposed on the country.

According to the official news agency SUNA, al-Bashir called on the Sufi leaders to promote religious values to protect the young generation against the Western cultures and intellectual invasion, pointing to the war launched by unnamed parties against Islam and Muslims.

The Sudanese President also called to enhance values of tolerance and cooperation among the various Islamic schools of thought, pointing to the important role played by Sufi sects to consolidate the Islamic values.

Al-Bashir who came to power through a coup d’état in June 1989 will have ruled Sudan for 31 years by the year 2020.

In March 2012, al-Bashir said he wouldn’t seek his re-election in April 2015 but he ran and won in an election that was boycotted by the major opposition parties.

In August 2016, he said “I’m not a dictator and I don’t want to cling to power. I won’t run for another term, my term will end by 2020 and I won’t be able to run again according to the constitution and the constitution won’t be amended”.

(ST)