‘NISS has misread Sudan Call document’

The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) of Sudan has misread the constitutional declaration document signed by the opposition Sudan Call alliance in Paris last month, according to the alliance leadership.

In the first official reaction by the Sudan Call alliance to the charges filed by the security apparatus against its newly elected chairman, El Sadig El Mahdi and others, the alliance said in a statement that the security apparatus and the state security prosecution had read the constitutional declaration document not for what it is but through doubting eye.

The statement issued in the name of the Secretary-General of the Sudan Call forces, Arko Minni Minawi, said that what had recently been done in Paris was the signing of the constitutional declaration confirming the peacefulness and civic of alliance of Sudan Call.

The statement stressed that the forces of Sudan Call are committed to the goals and charters and work to achieve them by peaceful and civil means.

He said in a statement to Radio Dabanga that the regime had earlier signed with the leaders of Sudan Call forces a roadmap as part of the AU's efforts to achieve peace and democratic transition in Sudan.

Minawi said that this confirms the regime's recognition of the forces of Sudan Call and its agreement to dialogue with the signatories to the road map as a single bloc according to the path specified by the map.

Minawi condemned the regime's continuing violations of freedoms and called for the release of the prisoners of and the detainees of conscience.

Malik Agar, the deputy head of the forces of alliance of Sudan Call and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) faction's president, called on political forces, civil society and regional and international communities, especially the African Union, to condemn the regime’s attempts to blackmail and terrorise the leaders of Sudan Call headed by El Sadig El Mahdi.

He said in a statement that the success of Paris meeting has prompted the head of the regime to enter the battlefield himself.

He told Radio Dabanga that the regime which has been surprised by the unity of the forces of Sudan Call has resorted to bullying and terrorism.

He said the living forces "must be united to confront the ruling regime which has gone bankrupt and unable to provide the necessities of life of food, fuel, medicine and peace.

The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) played down Al Bashir's threats to the forces of Sudan Call and filing complaint against the leaders of the participant parties through the security apparatus.

Dr Jibril Ibrahim, the deputy head of Sudan Call and the head of the Justice and Equality Movement, described the petition of the security services against El Mahdi and others as malicious and worthless with nothing new.

He predicted in an interview with Radio Dabanga that their fate would be similar to the charges filed earlier against Faroug Abu Eisa, Amin Mekki Madani and El Mahdi.

Ibrahim said that Al Bashir's threats and the petitions filed by the security apparatus would lead to more political polarisation in the country.

He expressed optimism that the threats would unite the opposition forces in order to topple the regime.

He stressed that the Sudan Call alliance is a civilian entity that adopts civil political options and does not resort to violent solutions.