Opposition calls for overthrow of government after formal separation of Southern Sudan

Political forces, Sudanese civil society organizations, refugees and displaced people from Dafur, unanimously call for the overthrow of the National Congress Party (NCP), after the secession of Southern Sudan, today. This diverse group warns the NCP that if the government does not take its responsibility seriously, by holding on to power, this would lead to further divisions in what remains of the Sudan. They congratulate the South for their independence, while at the same time expressing regret for this separation. They do not rule out future unification of the Sudan with South Sudan.

President Ali Mahmoud Hassanein, of the opposing Patriotic Front, told Radio Dabanga in an interview, that all types of dialogue about preserving the present system should stay on hold. He declared that the only solution for resolving the country’s genocide was the overthrow of the current regime. Hassanein claimed that an eventual unification of the whole of Sudan should be based on justice and freedom for all peoples in Sudan.

Secretary Kamal Omar Salam, of the Popular Congress Party (PCP), predicted in an interview with Radio Dabanga, that if the present regime stays on, further secessions, such as Dafur and the East, would be very likely. Kamal Omar underlined that the regime has lost its legitimacy, after squandering one third of Sudan.

Leader Joseph Sedig of the Communist Party, claims that the collapse of the existing system, is the only guarantee that other regions, namely Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, would stay in a united Sudan. The present readiness to go to war of the sitting government jeopardizes any possible future solution. Sedig stresses the importance of the formation of a national government. He demands that a constitutional convention is organized, where governance issues in inflamed areas is put on the agenda.

The Secretary General of the Umma Party, warned that secession of the South will cause a more splits in the motherland, as it dangerously stirs further polarization. In an interview with Radio Dabanga, he stressed the importance of consensus, state building, accommodating diversity, and sharing power. In his quest for reunification, he recalled the unification of East and West Germany.