‘Comprehensive solution requires rebuilding of Sudan’: United People’s Front

The eastern Sudan’s United People’s Front for Liberation and Justice rejects any partial solution for the country. “Only a comprehensive, holistic approach can solve the many crises of Sudan,” Dr Zeinab Kabashi, head of the United People’s Front (UPF, a coalition of eastern Sudanese factions) told Radio Dabanga in an interview on Tuesday. “Our decision to reject partial solutions for each of the Sudanese regions did not come lightly. We have thoroughly studied the possibilities and extensively consulted our people in eastern Sudan. However, the issue of Sudan cannot be solved by bilateral agreements. Such agreements violate the rights of the people, and only serve the positions of certain government employees.” Kabashi, who is also Co-Vice President of the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), stressed that the UPF represents the people of eastern Sudan in the SRF (an alliance of armed movements and opposition forces). Corrupt policies“Al Bashir’s regime is now going through several crises, including a huge economic crisis, affecting all the Sudanese,” she noted. “The isolated position of Sudan and the foreign blockades are the result of the corrupt policies of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). The situation Sudan is currently caught up and has prompted the NCP to come with this absurd idea of the ‘leap forwards’, represented in the so-called broad national dialogue”.   The chairwoman of the UPF predicted that “the dictatorial regime of Khartoum and its repressive security organs are now living in their last days, as they continue their militia attacks on civilians in the name of religion and the Holy War”. She warned of a disintegration of Sudan, “the result of continued political failing of the successive governments in solving the country’s problems. “A comprehensive solution, as desired by the Sudanese people, requires rebuilding of the country. The opposition should unite. Only a truly united opposition can lead us to a comprehensive solution, starting with the toppling the regime, and followed by a reconstruction of the country.” All available meansThe SRF was formed on 11 November 2011 by the leaders of four armed movements: the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Abdel Wahid El Nur (SLM-AW), and the SLM faction under the command of Minni Minawi (SLM-MM). They declared that they would overthrow the NCP regime by “all available means.”The Beja Congress, an eastern Sudanese armed opposition group, joined the SRF four days later. The UPF officially joined the SRF on 2 October 2013. File photo: The joining ceremony of the UPF in 2013. Seated: UPF Political Secretary, El Amin Daoud (L), UPF head, Dr Zeinab Kabashi. Standing: SRF leaders Abdel Wahid El Nur (second from L), followed by Malik Aggar, and Minni Minawi.   Related: Rebel SRF road map ‘towards National Dialogue Sudan’ (25 April 2014)Sudan rebel coalition SRF welcomes eastern faction (2 October 2013) Beja Congress joins Sudan Revolutionary Front (16 November 2011)