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Sudan Tribune

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Sudan’s NUP and FFC call for unifying opposition forces

March 2, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The National Umma Party (NUP) and the newly formed alliance of the “Future Forces of Change” (FFC) have agreed to develop a joint mechanism to seek to unify the Sudanese opposition forces.

FFC leaders at the launch ceremony held in Khartoum on 23 February 2016 (ST Photo)
FFC leaders at the launch ceremony held in Khartoum on 23 February 2016 (ST Photo)
The new umbrella FFC, including some 41 opposition groups, was launched last week in Khartoum and called on the others to join them to achieve the shared goal of regime change.

The new coalition was met with skepticism from some political parties as it included Islamists figures while other forces including the rebel Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) gave it an unenthusiastic welcome.

In a joint statement following a meeting between the NUP and the FFC Tuesday, the two sides vowed that the mechanisms of the joint work for change among existing political alliances must be complementary not contradictory.

“The current conditions of the country require [us] to overcome the crises of the past and deny the crumbling regime the opportunity [to survive]. The [regime] has abandoned its constitutional duty and it only seeks to cling to power,” the statement read.

The two sides stressed the need to coordinate the public mobilization work within the “”Here are the people’’ campaign which was launched by the NUP last month to create cumulative effect paving the way for changing the regime and establishing the democratic alternative.

The statement welcomed the launch of the FFC and described it as “positive breakthrough” that would serve the interests of the forces of change.

It underscored importance of the serious and responsible work that aims to achieve the unity of the Sudanese opposition around a minimum level program in order to meet the current challenges and determine the prospects for the future.

The meeting described the internal national dialogue as a “lie”, saying the regime launched the dialogue initiative in order to win time and gain legitimacy.

It said the ongoing dialogue conference lacks the minimum requirements of the objective dialogue.

The meeting also denounced the continued war, shelling of civilians and the increasing numbers of IDP’s in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile besides the forced displacement of the people in the water dams areas in northern Sudan.

It also condemned the large detention campaigns, unfair trials, freedom and human rights violations and the clampdown on the press and civil society organizations.

SLM-MM WELCOMES FFC

Meanwhile, the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM-MM) led by Minni Minnawi has welcomed the FFC and called for unifying opposition work.

SLM-MM deputy chairman for political affairs Abu Obieda al-Khalifa described the formation of the FFC as “positive move”, saying the unity of the opposition requires establishing large coalitions before bringing the armed and political opposition forces into one alliance.

He told Sudan Tribune that the SLM-MM sought to push forward the unity of the opposition forces through the rebel umbrella Sudan Revolutionary Forces (SRF) and the “Sudan Call” alliance, saying there is no major impediment to achieve the desired unity.

Al-Khalifa urged all political forces to achieve real unity to confront the regime and restore rights and freedoms and establish a state that is based upon equal citizenship.

Observers in the Sudanese capital say that the new FFC is the product of the recent developments and political crisis in Sudan. They point that many of these groups were part of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) like Salah al-Din , al-Tayeb Mustafa or Farah Agar.

Also, they failed to join the Sudan Call forces and previously the National Consensus Forces which gathers left and secular groups.

The NCF didn’t issue a statement on the establishment of the new coalition while the Sudanese Revolutionary Front ( SRF) – Agar faction issued a lukewarm welcome saying they are only ready to coordinate with them on national dialogue matters.

Observers agree that the DUP has a uneasy position to maintain because they may loose the good relations they have with the SRF-Agar if they make any rapprochement with the new coalition particularly the SRF of Gibril Ibrahim issued an enthusiastic statement welcoming the FFC creation.

(ST)

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