Restructuring main item as Sudan Appeal forces meet in Paris

Meetings between members of the Sudan Appeal forces, which include armed forces, political parties, and civil society groups, are taking place today in the French capital Paris. Leaders insist that the restructuring of their organisation is the main item on the agenda; signing the AUHIP roadmap 'as it is' is not an option.

The meetings will conclude three days of “serious and fruitful discussions” that have led to the approval of the structure of Sudan Appeal.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga from Paris yesterday, Omar El Digair, the President of the Sudanese Congress Party, said that the delegates discussed Sudan Appeal and agreed on its structure.

He explained that the most important thing stated in the structure is the allocation of the private sector under Sudan Appeal’s executive office under the name of popular resistance and uprising, this along with peace, and Sudanese Diaspora sectors.

He explained that the meeting approved tasking the executive office with support of the mass movement towards escalation of uprising.

Restructuring

In an interview with Radio Dabanga to be broadcast today, Dr Amin Mekki Medani, the chairman of the civil society initiative, said that the Sudan Appeal forces meeting in Paris addressed the issues of restructuring and of the AUHIP roadmap.

He explained the structure of Sudan Appeal will consist of a leadership board, two executive offices, one at home and another abroad with a specialised office. He confirmed that the coming days will witness the election or the selection of those who will be filling these councils and offices.

The Sudan Appeal forces denied that they were subject to any pressure during the meetings to get them to sign the AUHIP roadmap. He stressed that the ongoing dialogue in Paris “is not about signing the roadmap”.

He explained that the dialogue focused on the memorandum of understanding Sudan Appeal delivered earlier to the AUHIP joint mediator, Thabo Mbeki. Medani ruled out that Sudan Appeal forces might sign the roadmap unless a conducive atmosphere for dialogue is resolved.

Omar El Digair, the President of the Sudanese Congress Party said that the extensive discussion that took place in Paris tackled the latest developments concerning the roadmap.

On Wednesday he said in an interview with Radio Dabanga from Paris that “there is not any opinion among the conferees on the horizon that proposes the approval of the roadmap as it is”.

He explained that “the option to approve the roadmap as it is not on the table at the Paris meeting”. He stressed “it was discussed how to deal positively with the process of a political solution in accordance with what was agreed upon within Sudan Appeal conditions, which are declared and known”.

The Sudanese Communist Party and Farouq Abu Eisa, the Chairman of the Coalition of the National Consensus Forces, were absent from the meeting.