National Liberation and Justice Party launched in Sudan’s capital

On Monday, the founding conference of the National Liberation and Justice Party, led by Dr El Tijani Sese, was launched at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum.

Sese, who is also chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), said in his opening speech that “today, we celebrate the birth of a new political entity, named the National Liberation and Justice Party. Besides constituting a valuable addition to democracy, it will add flavour to a sound party life in the country”.

Presidential Aide Dr Ibrahim Ghandour commented by saying that “with the founding conference of the new party today, we reap the fruits of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD)”.

He congratulated the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) on its transformation into a political party, which he said, is “a lesson offered to all of us”.

The LJM, under the leadership of Sese, signed the DDPD in Qatar’s capital with the Sudanese government in July 2011. In December that year, Sese became head of the DRA.

End December last year, internal LJM conflicts surfaced, when Bahar Idris Abu Garda, LJM Secretary-General, publicly accused Sese of mismanagement and delaying the implementation of the DDPD security arrangements. Abu Garda furthermore announced the formation of a new political party, the Liberation and Justice Party.

After Sese had dismissed Abu Garda early January, the LJM Interim Board decided to withdraw his mandate. The Board’s chairman would take over Sese’s functions from 17 January onwards, until the election of a new LJM chairman, scheduled to take place in February.