President speeches, opposition raided in Sudan
In a pre-election rally, Al Bashir criticised tribes for their continued fighting in East Darfur. In Kassala state, security forces stormed a meeting of anti-election supporters.
President Omar Al Bashir has criticised the Rizeigat and Ma'aliya for continuing their armed conflict in East Darfur, during a pre-election rally on Thursday. Meanwhile, a meeting of anti-election supporters was stormed by the security service in Kassala state, and opposition parties consider holding a popular uprising in the country.
While addressing a mass rally in the capital of East Darfur, President Al Bashir criticised the ongoing tribal conflict between the Rizeigat and Ma'aliya. He stressed that the carrying of arms should be confined to the Sudan Armed Forces.
The armed conflict between the two tribes continues over issues such as land ownership. The president criticised the failure of the traditional tribal leaders to end the conflict in the past year, stressing the presence of native administrations for decades.
He added that the government will deter outlaws.
In his speech, the president confirmed that Sudan will not concede one inch from the disputed 14-Mile area in the border of the Darfur region and South Sudan. He rejected South Sudan’s claim over the contested grazing area between Northern Bahr el Ghazal and East Darfur states.
The 14-Mile area is claimed by both the Darfuri Rizeigat tribe and the South Sudanese Malual Dinka. Together with the contested Abyei region, it is an exception to the Safe Demilitarized Border Zone Sudan and South Sudan committed themselves to in 2012.
Al Bashir also promised to implement the contruction of the road from Ed Daein to En Nahud in West Kordofan, as well as an airport in Ed Daein. He went on by saying that the national electricity network will be extended to the area, provided that the residents of East Darfur will commit themselves to achieve social peace.
Security ends anti-election meeting
Meanwhile, in Kassala state, the Sudanese security apparatus stormed a meeting of supporters of the Sudan Appeal. It confiscated the publications of the opposition's symposium, that announced the launch of the anti-election Leave! campaign in Kassala this Saturday.
A witness reported that nine members of the security services stormed the meeting in the house of Mohamed Hassan El Ihemir, a leader of the Democratic Unionist Party.
Popular uprising
Leave! is coordinated by the Sudan Appeal signatories. The two-page document was signed by the opposition alliance NCF and other opposition forces in Ethiopia on 3 December 2014. The allied parties call for the ending of the civil wars in the country and the rebuilding of Sudan based on democratic principles. They agreed that if a peaceful regime change cannot be achieved by a broad national dialogue, it should be enforced by a popular uprising.
The National Umma Party and the Sudanese Communist Party continue to consider the uprising in the event that their calls for postponement of the general election are ignored. They confirmed their support to Leave! in a joint statement on Thursday.
They stressed the need to intensify mass activities in Khartoum via the most vital sectors, those of women, youth, and professionals.
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