---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Tue, Apr 19, 2011 at 3:14 PM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Fw: Sadiq al Mahdi says revolts will not change Sudan’s regime To: Group <[email protected]>
Opposition leader says revolts will not change Sudan’s regime Sunday, 17 April 2011 By ABDUL MONEIM AL-KHEDR AND SONIA FARID Al Arabiya KHARTOUM—Sudanese opposition leader and head of the Umma Party Sadiq al-Mahdi says it is unlikely for the regime in Sudan to be toppled by demonstrations, and stressed the difference between the system in Sudan and that in neighboring countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. “In Tunisia and Egypt, there is a regular army while in Sudan it is basically militias,” he told Al Arabiya. Mr. Mahdi said that there were more than 50 armed groups in Darfur and the south, and that in case of a revolt the scenario was more likely to be similar to Libya and Yemen rather than Egypt and Tunisia. “Similarly, the structure of the army in Libya is different and there is also the tribalism factor,” he said. Mr. Mahdi stressed the necessity of taking preemptive actions in Sudan to avoid replicating the Libyan scenario. He emphasized the necessity of preventing bloodshed. However, Mr. Mahdi said that if the Sudanese government insisted on its suppressive policies, it would become very hard to avoid confrontations. “Now, the Arab people have discovered that they possess a powerful weapon they can use to put pressure on regimes: the presence of the masses in the streets. They use this weapon when they are oppressed,” he said. Mr. Mahdi attributed the occurrence of recent revolutions in the Arab world to governments’ attempts at stifling opposition parties, syndicates, and different types of organizations. He said that he would soon meet with President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, who also heads the ruling National Congress Party, to discuss the political situation in Sudan. However, Mr. Mahdi said that he did not expect that the two of them would reach an agreement soon. “We still disagree about core issues, yet we are planning resolve the situation with the ruling party soon whether we agree or not,” he said. Mr. Mahdi said that a committee from the Umma Party was formed in order to prepare a list of the opposition’s demands and to set rules that would avoid making an incipient agreement similar to past drafts that were not fruitful. “The committee will also determine what needs to be done in case disagreements on core issues persist,” he said. Any new agreement with the government, Mr. Mahdi added, cannot be based on the results of the last presidential elections—which the opposition charged were rigged. “New transparent elections have to be held and a new constitution has to be drafted,” he said. Mr. Mahdi said that his party had a preliminary vision of a new constitution comprised of 10 articles, the most important of which was the establishment of a civil state in which all citizens were equal and in which people were the “source of power.” “The new constitution will stipulate the protection of ethnic and religious minorities as well as the annulment of all laws that violate international treaties signed by Sudan,” he said. Regarding the participation of the Umma Party in the new government, Mr. Mahdi said that several steps needed to be taken before opposition parties take part in the government. “The close connection between the National Congress Party on one hand and the government and civil society on the other hand has to be severed before different political powers become part of the government,” he said. According to Mr. Mahdi, the first problem South Sudan will face is the issue of security, which is aggravated by the current conflicts within the Sudanese Popular Liberation Movement (SPLM) and amongst different tribes. Sustainable development is another problem. “I expect that South Sudan will start looking for strategic alliances in order to contain those problems and avoid armed conflicts,” Mr. Mahdi said. He said that he envisioned two separate—and competing—scenarios for relations between North and South Sudan. One scenario was that South Sudan would likely to start allying itself with countries hostile to North Sudan whether in the Middle East, the Lakes Region, or the African Horn as well as other countries across the world. “This will make of South Sudan an enemy state to North Sudan,” he said. The other scenario, Mr. Mahdi said, was that North Sudan helps its southern neighbor build its new state and solve its security and development problems. “North Sudan has the power to resolve or complicate the problems of South Sudan and both of them have the ability to turn themselves into failed states,” he said. For Mr. Mahdi, the first step on the road of peaceful relations between the two countries is that each of them recognizes the sovereignty of the other and that they sign a twin-state agreement. “It is also important to agree on flexible borders between the two states,” Mr. Mahdi said. (Abdul Moneim Al-Khedr of AL Arabiya can be reached at: [email protected]. Sonia Farid, who translated this article from Arabic, can be reached at: [email protected]) http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/04/17/145772.html END ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan Advisor Sudan Ecumenical Forum [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +249 919 695 362 (Sudan mobile) +27 82 853 3556 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. 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