Umma Party leader searches alliance with Sudan’s youth activists

The leader of the National Umma Party has held a meeting with the leading youth activists of the civil disobedience campaign that was launched on 19 December in Sudanese cities, to propose an alliance between the two groups 'from different generations'.

El Sadig El Mahdi said in an interview with Radio Dabanga on Sunday that the youth have regarded the proposal as acceptable.

“This proposal was presented with other steps so that the candle of the rejection of this regime will not fade away.”

Meanwhile Sudanese activists on Facebook have announced the formation of a 'November 27 Movement' that will engage in organising acts of peaceful resistance against the regime. The second civil disobedience campaign, on 19 December, also saw large-scale 'stay-at-home protests'.

The movement released a statement saying that the number of members now amounts to approximately half a million people. The announcement of the formation of the November 27 Movement coincided with an invitation to join a general vigil at mosques on Friday.

El Mahdi was the Prime Minister of Sudan between 1966 and 1967 and again from 1986 to 1989. That year his government was overthrown in a coup led by Omar Al Bashir who is now incumbent President of Sudan. El Mahdi has continued to lead the Umma Party in opposition to Al Bashir.