Sudanese professionals decline participation in opposition meeting in France

March 11, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Professionals Associations (SPA) declined an invitation to take part in a meeting for the opposition Sudan Call alliance to be held in Paris France in the upcoming days.

The meeting which is supported by the Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG) aims to facilitate the dialogue among the opposition groups to reach common understandings on different issues related to the future of Sudan including political negotiations.

In a statement released on its Facebook’s page the SPA, which oversees the protests calling for President Omer al-Bashir to step down, said they received an invitation from PILPG to take part in a meeting of the Sudanese opposition in Paris to discuss the developments of the current situation in the country.

The statement further pointed that they are in full contact with the allies in the Freedom and Change Declaration including the National Consensus Forces, Sudan Call, Gathering of Unionists in Opposition and civil society groups, and they did not feel the need to meet them outside Sudan.

“Since we are partners with political forces, with whom we share the national concern and communicate with them on a daily basis, so we have informed (the PILPG) of our decision to decline the invitation (…),” further said the statement.

The meeting which will be held in Paris within a week is expected to discuss ways to enhance the coordination among the opposition groups which include political parties, armed groups and civil society groups.

It is not clear if the meeting will gather all the other forces of the Freedom and Change Declaration or would be limited only to the Sudan Call forces.

The Sudan Call which includes armed opposition groups has used to meet in Paris since several years ago.

(ST)