El Sadig El Mahdi retires from Sudan’s National Umma Party executive

The head of the National Umma Party, El Sadig El Mahdi, announced that he will retire from the party's executive. His past contributions and intellectual legacy will continue to affect the party, he said.

Addressing a crowd of followers at El Khalifa Hosh in Omdurman, El Sadig El Mahdi said that the revolution moved the country towards a new phase. This, he said, requires commitment to a cessation of all hostilities, a general amnesty, guaranteed humanitarian relief to all, a binding programme for integration and demobilisation, the demobilisation of tribal militias, the return of Sudanese militants to their homeland and good relations with neighbouring and other African and Arab countries.

He estimated that the poverty rate in Sudan was 70 per cent, unemployment was 40 per cent, and that about 3 million people lived in camps for the displaced and many in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

He warned against armed remnants of the former regime. He regards them as “a threat to the achievements of the revolution”. El Mahdi believes that the solution to this problem is imposing strict laws that will act as a deterrent, such as the Transitional Justice Law.

He called on the international community to support peace and the democratic transformation.

Yesterday, El Mahdi met with Radio Dabanga editor-in-chief Kamal El Sadig. El Mahdi expressed his support for Radio Dabanga and stressed that Sudan needs strong and competent media in the present transitional period.

Radio Dabanga’s editorial independence means that we can continue to provide factual updates about political developments to Sudanese and international actors, educate people about how to avoid outbreaks of infectious diseases, and provide a window to the world for those in all corners of Sudan. Support Radio Dabanga for as little as €2.50, the equivalent of a cup of coffee.