NUP rejects government’s threats to sue opposition over Sudan’s protests
February 18, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The National Umma Party (NUP) Monday rejected the Sudanese government’s threats to take legal action against the opposition forces over the ongoing anti-government protests.
The State Minister of Information Mamoun Hassan Ibrahim Thursdays said his government will take the necessary legal measures in response to calls for violence, political and intellectual terrorism and regime change by force.
The government threat came after statements by the opposition forces and the professionals’ groups to continue the two-month protests until the overthrow of the regime.
In a statement released on Monday, the opposition NUP described the government statements as an attempt to “discourage the forces of the Freedom and Change” alliance from continuing the peaceful protests, or it “prepares for a new wave of bloodshed and killing of peaceful demonstrators”.
Since the outbreak of popular protests in Sudan last December, 33 people have been killed, according to the government, while rights groups and activists say at least 51 people have been killed by the security forces.
The statement pointed out that the opposition political forces are operating according to the law, which is “selectively implemented”, adding that the Republican Party is prohibited from practising its activities without legal justification while the authorities turn a blind eye to the illegal activity of the pro-government Islamic Movement, according to the statement.
“That is why we declare our categorical rejection of the policy of double standards that the regime has been practising.”
“We affirm that all the forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change do not fear the threats of an illegitimate regime, and the people who are the highest authority in the country sentenced that must leave.”
The statement said that the regime has the duty to respect its constitution and laws before asking others to respect it. In addition, it mentioned the threats by the former first vice-president Ali Osman Taha who threatened to confront the protests by “shadow battalions that ready to sacrifice their lives” for the regime.
The opposition party went further to say that such threats have already been implemented, through numerous evidence on the ground, carried out by armed masked gunmen, with no known status, or identity, riding cars without legal plates to suppress peaceful citizens.
(ST)