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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2000 Issue No. 466 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 Jan. - 2 Feb. 2000 Issue No. 466
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Profile Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Reconciliations good and bad
By Dina EzzatSudanese President Omar Al-Bashir appeared to be mending fences this week with Hassan Al-Turabi, speaker of Sudan's dissolved parliament and widely viewed previously as the power-behind-the-throne in Khartoum. Signals coming out of a recent meeting between them may have suggested that the Sudanese president is going back on a decision he made last month to cut down Al-Turabi's powers and maximise presidential prerogatives. If this were true, it would have meant a serious blow to Egyptian-Libyan efforts to shore up Al-Bashir and move ahead towards an all-inclusive conference for reconciliation between the Khartoum government -- represented by Al-Bashir -- and its northern and southern opposition.
But is this the case? Not true, argued a Sudanese diplomat. "There is no going back to having two heads for the Sudanese state. There is only one head now and he is the Sudanese president," said the diplomat. He added that "future measures will be taken by the president to affirm this line."
Cairo agrees with this assessment. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa said that Cairo has been in touch with the Sudanese government and that no change has been sensed in the reform policies declared by Al-Bashir in December. According to the foreign minister, Egypt has been briefed on the latest political developments in Sudan. "This is primarily an internal affair. What counts is for stability to prevail in Sudan and this will be welcomed by all," said Moussa.
According to Cairo sources, the recent Al-Bashir-Al-Turabi meeting is not bothering Egypt, or Libya for that matter, because neither country fears that Al-Bashir may agree to go back to the sidelines again or allow Al-Turabi to revive the policies that left Sudan on bad terms with most of its neighbours, particularly Egypt.
One source said, "It seems that Al-Bashir has secured Al-Turabi's agreement to stay away from crucial decision-making. Nobody had expected Al-Turabi to go away easily, or that this would have been the answer to Sudan's problems." He added: "What matters is for Sudan to stick to its reform policies that have helped it turn a new page in its foreign relations."
Key figures in the Sudanese opposition seemed to be of the same mind. Following talks in Cairo on Monday with Foreign Minister Moussa, Othman Al-Merghani, leader of the Democratic National Alliance, a coalition of opposition groups, told reporters that whatever happens between Al-Bashir and Al-Turabi is their own business. "What we want to see is for the Khartoum regime to re-introduce political freedoms and meet us in the all-inclusive conference under the umbrella of the joint Egyptian-Libyan initiative," said Al-Merghani.
Egypt has been busy attempting to arrange this conference. Moussa sent two of his aides on Sudan affairs to the United States earlier this month to secure a better understanding from Washington of the Egyptian-Libyan effort. Washington previously showed hostility to this joint initiative. "But this is definitely changing now," commented an Egyptian diplomat. Washington also used to provide support for the separatist southern Sudanese opposition. And this seems to have been put on hold. The development, as well as improving relations between Sudan and its sub-Sahara neighbours who used to support the secessionists, is forcing southern leader John Garang to reconsider his position on the joint Egyptian-Libyan initiative.
Getting all the different factions of the northern and southern opposition to agree on a unified list of demands to be presented to the Sudanese government has not proved to be an easy task. Cairo and Tripoli still have to work very hard before they can narrow the inter-opposition differences.
There is no consensus in the opposition on whether the Khartoum government has done enough to encourage opponents to sit down with it around the negotiating table. Al-Merghani, who heads the Sudanese Unionist party, believes that the government has a lot to do in terms of reintroducing political liberties. Al-Sadik Al-Mahdi, chairman of the Umma party which is a member of the NDA, disagrees. He thinks that the government has done enough and that "any serious political opposition should feel that the opportunity offered by the Khartoum regime is a challenge".
Last week, Moussa attempted to get Al-Mahdi and Al-Merghani to sit together with him. But Al-Merghani was reluctant. "We don't think, however, that the differences between Al-Mahdi and Al-Merghani can prevent the all-inclusive conference on reconciliation in Sudan," said an Egyptian diplomatic source.
The Egyptian-Libyan committee for reconciliation in Sudan is expected to step up its efforts in the coming days to bridge the gap between the divergent views.
If all goes well, on the opposition as well as the government fronts, a preparatory meeting for the reconciliation conference may take place in February. The conference itself may be held in March.
