’Political and legal basis needed for Sudan dialogue’: Yasir Arman

The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) denounced the consultative meeting organised by the ruling National Congress Party in Khartoum on Sunday as a preparation for a broad national dialogue, and demands a political and legal framework, prepared by an independent body, as the basis for a serious dialogue. “The national dialogue Al Bashir is calling for is as hollow as a reed,” Yasir Arman, SRF Foreign Relations Secretary said in an interview with Radio Dabanga on Monday. “It is like the monitor of the class, who closes the door and put the keys in his pocket.” Arman, who is also the Secretary-General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, stated that most of the political parties and organisations involved in the national dialogue are closely related to the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). “Only a few them are not part of the NCP’s conspiracy.” “What happened at the consultative meeting yesterday will lead to a reproduction of all crises in the country. It will be a second version of the Salvation regime, as the NCP used to call itself. The national crises will not be resolved if the root causes are not tackled, the wars stopped, and the emergency laws abolished. These issues should be the top priority. Al Bashir did not address these issues through a package of measures leading to a cessation of hostilities and humanitarian assistance.” “A round table is not a successful medium to rely on if it does not tackle the root causes and provides political stability.” True national dialogueRegarding the requirements for a “true national dialogue”, Arman stressed the need to agree on several important procedural issues. “The most important criteria are participation, decision-making, and who has the right to participate in the decision-making. If these criteria are neglected, the NCP’s security apparatus will continue to control the constitutional and political processes.” The SRF Foreign Relations Secretary referred to the importance of a political and legal framework agreed on as a basis for a serious dialogue. This framework should be prepared by an independent body that is to facilitate the entire process of the dialogue.“The SRF’s position is that this independent body should be formed by the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP), the chairmanship of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a representative of the UN Secretary-General, and the Joint AU-UN Special Representative for Darfur. Only in this way we can start a serious dialogue without leaving the lead in the hands of Al Bashir.” With regard to the guarantees the Sudanese President offered to the armed movements and the SRF if they come to Khartoum and participate in the national dialogue, Arman commented that the SRF does not need guarantees from Al Bashir. “We need serious steps addressing the issues of millions of displaced people and refugees, the abolition of restrictive laws, agreement on an independent mechanism, and a roadmap leading to transitional arrangements on the issues the NCP is avoiding.” Arman called upon “all who refused to attend yesterday’s meeting, in particular the members of the National Consensus Forces, the SRF, women, youth, and students, to agree as soon as possible on a road map to be presented to the Sudanese people and the regional and international community, as an alternative for the “absurdity played in front of us”. File photo: Yasir Arman  Related: ‘Sudan dialogue is meeting between Islamists’: rebel leader (8 April 2014) Coalition of 17 parties to boycott Sudan’s ‘national dialogue’ (7 April 2014) ‘Security Sudan, rights for citizens first, then national dialogue’: CSOs (4 April 2014) Darfur rebels reject NCP ‘guarantees’ for dialogue (20 March 2014) Al Bashir speech disappoints Sudanese (28 January 2014)