Sudan junta makes contact with armed rebel groups

The Transitional Military Council (TCM) has established contact with the armed movements including the Sudan Liberation Movement under the leadership of Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW).

During a press conference in Khartoum on Tuesday, the deputy head of the TCM, Lt Gen Mohamed Hamdan (aka Hemeti), thanked Abdelaziz El Hilu, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) for the extension of the unilateral ceasefire and expressed respect for his recent statements.

He said that the armed movements are part of the movement that has led to the overthrow of the regime of ousted President Omar Al Bashir, pointing to their presence at the sit-in.

Hemeti further called on the armed movements to agree on peace after the fall of the regime. He referred to the agreement of principles concluded with the SLM lead by Minni Minawi and the SPLM-N faction of Malik Agar, and seeking a similar agreement with the Justice and Equality Movement.

‘Delegation of good intentions’

The SPLM-N Agar command has decided to send a “delegation of good intentions” to Khartoum headed by deputy chairman Yasir Arman, in support of the revolution agenda and to pressure to put peace a priority in the process of transition and dialogue with the Freedom and Change leaders.

In a statement on Tuesday, the command of the movement said that it is in contact with its allies in the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF), an alliance of armed movements, opposition parties and civil society organisations, and Sudanese opposition leaders abroad to form a joint delegation to go to Khartoum “as soon as possible to support the objectives of our noble revolution, meet the military council and insist that the issues of war be in one package within the transitional arrangements, alongside the dialogue with the living forces in the Sudanese society; with the forces of Freedom and Change on top”.

The statement stressed that the death sentence issued against leaders of the SPLM-N, including Yasir Arman, “will not prevent us from performing our national duties”.

The statement reported that on Tuesday, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir held a lengthy meeting with Abdelaziz El Hilu, Malik Agar and Arman in Juba in order to unite the SPLM-N for the achievement of peace in Sudan.

The statement said the movement's leadership confirmed its commitment to the unity the movement and that the President of South Sudan would continue his efforts to unify the SPLM-N that split into two groups in early 2017.

Sudanese Civil Society Initiative

The Sudanese Civil Society Initiative, one of the members of the Sudan Call opposition coalition, said it has no representation in the forces of Freedom and Change nor in the negotiating delegation.

Hamid Ali Nur of the alliance of the forces of Sudan Call to the Declaration of Freedom and Change expressed in a statement on Tuesday his dissatisfaction and disapproval of the initiative of what it felt as tampering in the political arena, which reflected negatively within the many negative repercussions on the performance of the delegation to the Forces of the Declaration of Freedom and Change.

The statement stressed that as a result of such policies, it has become clear to all the weakness and ambivalence of the negotiating delegation of the forces of Freedom and Change, and perhaps the military council noticed that from the first sight and began to deal with the delegation with a degree of indifference.

The statement added that the council even asked them to bring mandate of their representatives which is an indication that the council has realised the weak structure of the delegation, its inconsistency and negotiating position, and this was only because of the party miserable bickering and quarrels.