Sudan’s armed groups threaten to hold separate talks with military junta
July 1, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) renewed its threats to hold separate negotiations with the Transitional Military Council (TMC) without the opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) in the absence of an inclusive organizational structure.
SRF leader Minni Minawi met last week in the Chadian capital with the TMC deputy head Mohamed Hamdan Daglo Hemetti. The two leaders signed a cessation of hostilities agreement and also agreed to keep contacts and to discuss ways to achieve peace during the transitional period.
Reached by Sudan Tribune, JEM leader Gibril Ibrahim reaffirmed that the SRF is a full member of the Sudan Call alliance and the FFC.
However, he confirmed their growing dissatisfaction with the methods used by the other allies inside the country to manage the coalition, pointing to the absence of a statuary body that draws policies and takes basic decisions.
“There is a small committee formed in vague circumstances with limited representation, calling itself the Coordination Committee that kidnapped the decision making process of the Forces for Freedom and Change, and made itself a reference to the Negotiating Committee and the Committee on Foreign Relations and all the committees that claim to represent the Forces for Freedom and Change,” said Gibril.
He added that the continuation of the absence of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front from the decision-making mechanism and negotiations with the military council as well as meetings with regional and international mediators will force the Front to “make their way independently from the FFC”.
“This is their right,” said Omer al-Digair, head of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), in an interview with the BBC television on Sunday. “There is agreement on a joint programme that we are working on,” he further said.
The need to form a new leadership council for the FFC was also raised by the National Umma Party leader and head of the Sudan Call Sadiq al-Mahdi.
Several opposition groups say they prefer to announce this body after the conclusion of an agreement with the TMC over the transitional period institutions. Some small groups like the Ba’ath party were also hostile to the armed groups as they accused them of delaying the popular uprising due to their armed action.
A member of the SRF leadership Tom Hajo who recently arrived in Khartoum made strongly worded statements against the FFC through the local media and advised to review the approach of the opposition about the dealing with the military junta.
(ST)