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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 May 1999 Issue No. 430 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 May 1999 Issue No. 430
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Supplement Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Reconciliation, shari'a and oil
By Mohamed KhaledThe surprise meeting which took place early this month in Geneva between former Sudanese prime minister and Ummah Party leader, Sadek Al-Mahdi, and Sudanese Parliament Speaker, Hassan Al-Turabi, continues to spark heated debate in different Sudanese opposition and government circles.
Al-Mahdi said the meeting was an attempt to pave the way for a peaceful settlement of the Sudanese crisis. He added that he and Turabi had agreed to organise a meeting between government representatives and members of the Opposition umbrella organisation, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), as early as June to discuss the possibilities of concluding a deal.
"I don't think this is going to be a drawn-out process. There is a sense of urgency within the government and within the region to reach reconciliation in Sudan," Mahdi said, in recent statements.
However, the initial reaction of other opposition parties indicated that Al-Mahdi's desire for a quick solution may be over optimistic.
A recent statement issued by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by Mohamed Osman Al-Merghani who also heads the NDA, stated the party was not yet ready to be reconciled with "an illegitimate regime." The statement issued by the DUP described Al-Mahdi's effort as an individual initiative that could be discussed in a forthcoming meeting of the NDA.
Two other opposition parties -- the Communist Party of the Sudan (CPS) and the Sudanese Allied Forces (SAF) -- issued statements rejecting what amounted to a take-it or leave-it proposal. This they regard as contrary to the style and tradition of the NDA.
In his message to NDA's leadership council on the output of his talks with Al-Turabi, Al-Mahdi urged them to convene a meeting to discuss the latest developments and in particular the possibility of reaching a peaceful settlement with the Khartoum government. The discussions should consider the coordination of Arab initiatives with those of Africa's IGAD group, decide on the details of a suggested conference for writing a new constitution for Sudan, assign a highly qualified task force to facilitate dialogue and identify effective means and mechanisms of realising the aspirations of the Sudanese people. Far from reducing the controversy surrounding his meeting with Turabi, Al-Mahdi's message to the NDA created more questions. Some NDA members were especially critical of his suggestion that the responsibility for dialogue should be given to a highly qualified task force, as an implicit call for overlooking the existing structure of the NDA led by Merghani.
The silence of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) led by John Garang was also another cause for concern. The SPLM, at war with Khartoum for the past 15 years, did not issue any reaction to the meeting between Mahdi and Turabi.
It would appear that Al-Mahdi will get another opportunity to convince his opposition partners at a forthcoming NDA leadership council meeting to be held in Asmara. The NDA leadership inside Sudan issued a statement that applauded Al-Mahdi's effort but stated that any dialogue with the government should be on the basis of the principles and conventions of the NDA.
On the government side there is the conviction that a reconciliation is only possible within the context of the existing constitution and Islamic framework adopted by the government and supported by Turabi. Such statements are likely to discourage some opposition figures from considering dialogue with the government.
"Following our published statement, we had a general NDA meeting attended by 22 delegates representing political parties, trade unions and other member organisations. We confirmed that we do not reject a peaceful solution, but if the government is to enter into dialogue with the opposition it should do this directly with the NDA as an entity." According to Ali Al-Sayed, a leading opposition figure and representative of DUP to the NDA leadership inside Sudan "the NDA rejected any form of dialogue that compromised the unity of the NDA".
In spite of the complications related to the modalities of dialogue some opposition leaders inside Sudan insist on considering all alternatives. "If there is a peaceful way to restore democracy in our country, we will support that effort regardless of who initiated the negotiations. We welcome any effort which will bring peace to our country provided that it doesn't contradict the resolution and understanding of the Asmara Declaration," Ghazi Suleiman, lawyer, prominent human rights activist and president of the National Alliance to Restore Democracy (NARD) told Al-Ahram Weekly in a telephone interview from Khartoum.
If a dialogue is to be resumed between the government and NDA, the suggested starting point is the NDA's memorandum rejected by the government in December 1998. The memorandum called for the restoration of multi-party democracy and the resignation of President Omar Al-Bashir as a first step towards reconciliation.
"The December memorandum is regarded as the minimum condition for talks. For the opposition inside the country this was the maximum they could demand given the harassment they were experiencing. The NDA abroad has enough margin to address all issues including the armed struggle, a matter the we could never voice inside Sudan." said Al-Sayed.
It is evident that the NDA inside Sudan, despite the good will it shows, is not optimistic about the government's intentions or sincerity. It is widely believed that the government's main concern is to focus on the production and export of oil during the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of their coup on 30th June. "In my judgment all the moves that have taken place during the last few weeks including the initiatives of Abel Aleir, the Tripoli meeting, the reconciliation agreement with Eritrea, the Geneva meeting between Al-Mahdi and Turabi, are just maneuvers to keep the situation calm and stop military activities till the 30th of June." said Al-Sayed.
