Sudanese opposition to campaign to end war

The Sudanese opposition forces intend to organise a mass campaign to put an end to armed conflict in the country.

Yousef Bakri, the spokesman for the National Consensus Forces (NCF, a coalition of opposition parties), informed Radio Dabanga that the NCF will intensify its activities for a democratic and peaceful Sudan by running a nationwide campaign during the coming period.

“We will organise a large number of political symposiums and other activities to contribute to putting as halt to the prolonged fighting in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile,” he explained.

“The wars are affecting the people’s livelihood and are seriously affecting the Sudanese economy. The sole beneficiary is the ruling National Congress Party (NCP),” he said, pointing to reports that Khartoum annually spends more than 70 percent of the national budget on the (para)military and security apparatus.

Bakri called upon “all Sudanese, including members of the native administration, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and artists to join the campaign.

Peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebel groups, and parallel talks with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) over South Kordofan and the Blue Nile, reached a deadlock in Addis Ababa in December last year.

The AU High-Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP) announced the suspension of both negotiation rounds in Addis Ababa, as the rebels wanted to address the political and economic situation in the country. Khartoum insisted on restricting the talks to the cessation of hostilities and security arrangements.