SPLM-N to expand collaboration for change in Sudan
The leaders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) have declared their readiness to collaborate with armed groups, Sudanese army soldiers, Islamists, opposition parties, and tribes in order to reach comprehensive negotiations with the Sudanese regime, or to remove it by force.
‘‘We have managed to defeat the militias and the forces of the regime for four successive years,” Malik Agar, the SPLM-N chairman, Abdelaziz El Hilu, deputy-chairman, and Secretary-General Yasir Saeed Arman told members and supporters of the rebel movement in a communiqué on Thursday. Their SPLM-N leadership meeting from 30 July to 5 August reached several resolutions, aiming to achieve an environment in Sudan that is conducive to extensive negotiations, or the toppling of the current regime.
The meeting resulted, among others, in the adoption of a new military plan to counter Sudan’s military campaign against the rebels. The movement has “ongoing communication” with elements in the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) who are not satisfied with their executives and interested in political change, and claimed that these elements are ready to cooperate.
The three leaders stated that their position remains to not engage with Islamic fanatics and followers of the Islamic State (ISIS), but that it looks to cooperate with Islamists looking for “limited change” of the regime.
“The SPLM-N will engage, and is willing to work together, with Islamists who are interested in limited political change […] The ruling Islamists should be overthrown unless they agree to a comprehensive peaceful settlement.”
“The National Congress Party (NCP) will not accept any peaceful comprehensive settlement unless it feels the threat of mass uprising and eminent change,” the leaders stressed, urging the need for a popular uprising in the country.
Negotiations
The SPLM-N repeated the stance of the Sudan Appeal opposition forces and rejected the national dialogue initiative, called for by President Omar Al Bashir, as it exists now: not aimed at achieving a peaceful comprehensive settlement.
The leaders demanded that the dialogue be supervised by the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and supportive neighbouring countries. The SPLM-N will attend the upcoming meeting between the AUHIP and the Sudan Appeal signatories.
Humanitarian crises
Agar, El Hilu, and Arman added that any future negotiation with the government of Sudan on the humanitarian situation in Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains (South Kordofan, known as the Two Areas) must first find a solution to the humanitarian crisis, and include a comprehensive cessation of hostilities in these areas and Darfur.
In the areas which are under the control of the rebels in the Two Areas, the leaders decided to renew all civil administrative bodies, both in and outside the rebel-held areas. Proposals for this renewal are to be presented in the leadership’s next meeting in September, in one of the rebel-held areas.
Tribalism
The leadership praised the refusal of the Arab tribes that “refused to participate in the crimes of the NCP”, including the Misseriya, Hawazma and Kenana. “The NCP regime has used ‘divide and rule’ colonial tactics to induce the tribes to confront each other, particularly in Darfur.”
The meeting took note of new political dynamics within the tribes in Darfur and Sudan, in addition to trends emanating from the impact of gold and oil exploration. They stressed there is a need to thoroughly study these new dynamics, and proposed to hold a conference, entitled ‘Arab Tribes and the Building a State of Equal Citizenship’, with its allies in the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF, an alliance of Sudan’s main rebel movements) and Sudan Appeal.
Prisoners of war
The leadership decided to release additional members of the Sudanese forces who are prisoners of war, and stays committed to releasing such prisoners in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross and other Sudanese and non-Sudanese actors.
Finally, directives were given to solve issues in the movement’s search for establishing radio and TV, and to develop the movement’s engagement on social media.
The meeting agreed to expand the leadership, establish an executive body, and form a national liberation council. Last week, the SPLM-N already announced the appointment of a new chief of staff and a deputy commander-in-chief.
The leaders of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) have declared their readiness to collaborate with armed groups, Sudanese army soldiers, Islamists, opposition parties, and tribes in order to reach comprehensive negotiations with the Sudanese regime, or to remove it by force.
‘‘We have managed to defeat the militias and the forces of the regime for four successive years,” Malik Agar, the SPLM-N chairman, Abdelaziz El Hilu, deputy-chairman, and Secretary-General Yasir Saeed Arman told members and supporters of the rebel movement in a communiqué on Thursday. Their SPLM-N leadership meeting from 30 July to 5 August reached several resolutions, aiming to achieve an environment in Sudan that is conducive to extensive negotiations, or the toppling of the current regime.
The meeting resulted, among others, in the adoption of a new military plan to counter Sudan’s military campaign against the rebels. The movement has “ongoing communication” with elements in the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) who are not satisfied with their executives and interested in political change, and claimed that these elements are ready to cooperate.
The three leaders stated that their position remains to not engage with Islamic fanatics and followers of the Islamic State (ISIS), but that it looks to cooperate with Islamists looking for “limited change” of the regime.
“The SPLM-N will engage, and is willing to work together, with Islamists who are interested in limited political change […] The ruling Islamists should be overthrown unless they agree to a comprehensive peaceful settlement.”
“The National Congress Party (NCP) will not accept any peaceful comprehensive settlement unless it feels the threat of mass uprising and eminent change,” the leaders stressed, urging the need for a popular uprising in the country.
Negotiations
The SPLM-N repeated the stance of the Sudan Appeal opposition forces and rejected the national dialogue initiative, called for by President Omar Al Bashir, as it exists now: not aimed at achieving a peaceful comprehensive settlement.
The leaders demanded that the dialogue be supervised by the African Union High Implementation Panel (AUHIP) and supportive neighbouring countries. The SPLM-N will attend the upcoming meeting between the AUHIP and the Sudan Appeal signatories.
Humanitarian crises
Agar, El Hilu, and Arman added that any future negotiation with the government of Sudan on the humanitarian situation in Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan (known as the Two Areas) must first find a solution to the humanitarian crisis, and include a comprehensive cessation of hostilities in these areas and Darfur.
The rebel leaders further decided to renew all civil administrative bodies, both in and outside the rebel-held areas in the Two Areas. Proposals for this renewal are to be presented in the leadership’s next meeting in September, in one of the rebel-held areas.
“The NCP regime has used ‘divide and rule’ colonial tactics to induce the tribes to confront each other, particularly in Darfur.”
The leadership praised the Arab tribes that “refused to participate in the crimes of the NCP”, including the Misseriya, Hawazma and Kenana. “The NCP regime has used ‘divide and rule’ colonial tactics to induce the tribes to confront each other, particularly in Darfur.”
The meeting took note of new political dynamics within the tribes in Sudan, in addition to trends emanating from the impact of gold and oil exploration. They stressed there is a need to thoroughly study these new dynamics, and proposed to hold a conference, entitled ‘Arab Tribes and the Building a State of Equal Citizenship’, with its allies in the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF, an alliance of Sudan’s main rebel movements) and the Sudan Appeal signatories.
Prisoners of war
The leadership decided to release additional members of the Sudanese forces who are held captive, and stays committed to releasing such detainees in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross and other Sudanese and non-Sudanese actors.
Finally, directives were given to solve issues in the movement’s search for establishing radio and TV, and to develop the movement’s engagement on social media.The meeting agreed to expand the leadership, establish an executive body, and form a national liberation council. Last week, the SPLM-N already announced the appointment of a new chief of staff and a deputy commander-in-chief.
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