A third party announces withdrawal from partnership with Sudanese regime

The Federal Umma Party (FUP), headed by Dr Ahmed Babikir Nahar, announced its withdrawal from the government at all governing levels and the dismantling of its partnership with this regime on Sunday.

In a statement the FUP called on President Omar Al Bashir and his regime to step down and make way for an agreed-upon transitional government after the regime has lost competence, legitimacy, and the ability to deal with the political crisis. The party also expressed discontent for the regime’s unwillingness to deal with initiatives that have been raised from time to time in the past.

The statement explained that the intransigence and entrenchment of the regime in its current position would lead the country to disaster.

According to the statement, ongoing demonstrations represent a broad array of people in Sudan, and youth movements protesting against injustice will be “the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

The FUP leader also held a press conference to confirm the dissolution of its 10-year partnership with the ruling National Congress Party.

The FUP has one ministry in the national government, Ministry of Culture, three state ministries in Darfur region. Also, it has eight MPs at the National Assembly, one MP at the Council of States, and several representatives in the legislative assemblies of a number of states.

Earlier this month, 22 opposition political parties and groups, including the Reform Now Party led by Ghazi Salah-Eddin and the National Umma Party faction led by Mubarak al-Fadil al-Mahdi demanded that Bashir transfer power to a transitional government that would set a suitable date for presidential elections.

Yesterday, El Sadig El Mahdi, the Head of the National Umma Party and chairman of the Sudan Call coalition, strongly condemned the killing of demonstrators and the excessive violence against them during the past month. He likened the current regime in Khartoum to the days of the Anglo-Egyptian colonisation.

Some FUP officials rejected the decision to quit the government institutions and join the opposition, however. The party’s Political Secretary and Minister of Culture, Omer Suleiman, held a news conference on the same day announcing his rejection of the decision.