FFC civilian group leader Arman urges unified front to end war and achieve democratic transition in Sudan

"A prominent leader of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), Yasir Arman, called for building a unified civil front in the country to end the war and advance the tasks of democratic transition in Sudan.

On Monday, the FFC delegation participated in the closing session of the IGAD Quartet meeting charged with ending the conflict in Sudan. It also held meetings with the leaders of the African Union and IGAD countries to brief them about its position on the ongoing conflict in Khartoum and Darfur and its tragic consequences.

Civil groups, including a faction led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, have recently raised calls for the participation of civilians in comprehensive negotiations with the aim of halting the war, re-establishing the political process, and achieving democratic transition." Read more.

Report at Sudan Tribune - sudantribune.com
Published 11 June 2023 - here is a fully copy:

Arman urges unified front to end war and achieve democratic transition in Sudan

Yasir Arman speaks to reporters in a press conference held by the FFC on November 16, 2022 (ST photo)

June 11, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – A prominent leader of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), Yasir Arman, called for building a unified civil front in the country to end the war and advance the tasks of democratic transition in Sudan.

The call comes after the leaders of the revolutionary forces left the country on a regional and international tour to advocate for an end to the fighting and to explain the positions of the coalition on the issues of transition in Sudan.

On Monday, the FFC delegation participated in the closing session of the IGAD Quartet meeting charged with ending the conflict in Sudan. It also held meetings with the leaders of the African Union and IGAD countries to brief them about its position on the ongoing conflict in Khartoum and Darfur and its tragic consequences.

In a statement to Sudan Tribune from the Ethiopian capital, Arman said that their meetings with the IGAD quartet, the African Union, and international partners highlighted the importance of political and civil forces in shaping the future of Sudan. He added that this is the first time that civil and political leaders participate in such meetings.

Arman stressed that the civil forces need to form a broad civil front after the end of the war and the return of the military to the barracks.

“The building of the civil front will not be undertaken by an individual or a single group, but by the forces of change, revolution, and democratic forces together, in full transparency and in broad daylight, inside and outside Sudan, to build a civil front that leads to a real transformation in Sudan,” he said.

Recently, calls have been made by civil groups, including a group led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, for the involvement of civilians in comprehensive negotiations aimed at stopping the war, resuming the political process, and democratic transition. Arman warned against the continuation of the ongoing conflict in the country between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, as it would lead to the destruction of Khartoum and plunge the country into a comprehensive civil war on ethnic and regional lines.

Civil groups, including a faction led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, have recently raised calls for the participation of civilians in comprehensive negotiations with the aim of halting the war, re-establishing the political process, and achieving democratic transition. Arman cautioned against the perpetuation of the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, emphasizing the potential consequences of such a continuation, including the devastation of Khartoum and the escalation of a widespread civil war along ethnic and regional divisions.

He highlighted that the ongoing clashes within the nation have the potential to utterly devastate Khartoum and erase the historical significance embodied by its monuments over the past two centuries.

“Initially, RSF elements perpetrated numerous violations and unlawfully seized civilian homes and properties. Presently, in the absence of substantial ground forces, the army is moving towards depopulating the capital by subjecting it to airstrikes and artillery bombardments. Preventing the total annihilation of Khartoum is imperative. Also, it is essential that the voices of Sudanese people and the international community be raised to protect civilians in Khartoum and bring an end to the war.”

Following the outbreak of the fighting in Khartoum on April 15, the paramilitary forces seized civilian homes and turned them into barracks for their fighters. In addition, they occupied essential facilities and looted banks, resulting in disruptions to various aspects of life in the capital.

Recently, the RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo “Hemetti” admitted that his forces committed violations and promised to hold those involved accountable, but civilians are still suffering from looting and occupation of homes.

In addition, the military conducted aerial assaults on RSF positions situated in residential neighbourhoods, resulting in the loss of over a thousand lives and the displacement of more than one and a half million individuals to other regions or abroad.

Arman pointed out that the ongoing fighting in Darfur has become a threat to the peaceful coexistence between the various tribal components in the region and will lead to the eruption of ethnic and tribal conflict.

“Supporting civil society in Darfur, the Native Administration, women, youth, the displaced and refugees as a genuine partner to stop the war is important and necessary,” he further said.

Over 250,000 civilians from the Darfur region have been forcibly displaced from their homes as a result of attacks by the RSF-backed Arab militias. Numerous reports have drawn parallels between these events and the ethnic cleansing and genocide that have occurred in some African countries.

The leader of the FFC called for the active participation of civil society in the distribution of aid, including medical personnel, legal experts, women, and youth. Additionally, they emphasized the need for the establishment of civil administrations across urban and rural areas of Sudan to ensure the fair distribution of assistance to those who are in need.

According to news reports, international aid intended for the war-affected population and civilians in need is not reaching its intended recipients. Instead, it is being stockpiled in warehouses, and there are allegations of involvement by organizations associated with the former regime. (ST)

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article275055/

[Ends]

SPLM alleges NCP plot to arm southerner militias - UN urged to check 'security violations' in south Sudan

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) has demanded an investigation into an alleged plot by the National Congress Party (NCP) to arm militias in the south aimed at disrupting the work of the North-South Border Demarcation Committee and obstructing South Sudan's self determination process.

Addressing the press in Khartoum on Sunday (9 May), SPLM Deputy Secretary General-northern sector, Yasir Arman said the NCP is hindering the south secession process "through technical ways".

The SPLM has requested that the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) launch the inquiry, calling on UNMIS to exercise its rights within its mandate.

Meanwhile, Head of the Technical Committee for North-South Border Demarcation, Abdulla Al Sadiq, has said that the committee will complete its work by November 2010. Sadiq stated that by then, borders will be demarcated from Central Africa to Ethiopia.

Al Sadiq told Radio Miraya that the final report of the Technical Committee will be raised to the presidency for approval ahead of the Southern Sudan referendum process in November.

Source: Radio Miraya, Sunday, 09 May 2010 - see copy below.

U.N. must verify north-south Sudan clashes: SPLM
From Reuters (Khartoum) by Opheera McDoom
Saturday, 08 May 2010 4:01pm EDT:

U.N. peacekeepers should be more active in monitoring violence in Sudan's south ahead of a key referendum in independence in eight months time, the oil- producing region's main party said on Saturday.

Senior Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) official Yasir Arman also said they had evidence President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's ruling northern National Congress Party was trying to destabilize the south by arming proxy militias in the semi- autonomous region.

"The United Nations should verify and should be present in all the places where there are violations of the security arrangements," Arman told reporters. "This is the mandate of the United Nations force here -- they should take this mandate... seriously."

The peacekeeping mission was deployed to monitor a 2005 north-south peace deal ending Africa's longest running civil war which claimed 2 million lives. A shaky ceasefire has mostly held with sporadic fighting kept in check through a high-level joint defense body between the former foes.

But last month clashes between the south's separate army (SPLA) and Darfuri Arab tribes along the disputed north-south border inflicted heavy casualties on both sides. And the SPLA accused a senior renegade commander of attacking an army base killing at least eight soldiers in Jonglei state last week.

The U.N. mission has not commented on the violence and a spokesman was not immediately available to comment on Saturday.

Arman said the NCP was using the Arab tribes to destabilize the south and delay the referendum.

"The government of south Sudan produced information that the NCP...are trying to destabilize the ..security in south Sudan," Arman said in a news conference in Khartoum.

He added SPLA renegade George Athor was receiving logistical support from outside the south, but did not specify from where.

Bashir's National Congress Party was not available to comment. During the civil war, Khartoum supported militias to oppose the SPLA, but the party denies this policy since 2005.

Most analysts believe the south is likely to secede in the January 9, 2011 plebiscite and fear a heavily armed population, ethnic rivalries and unresolved border disputes could destabilize any new nation and its neighbors, most of whom were dragged into Sudan's civil war.

Arman urged the NCP to reinvigorate a joint defense body to calm any north-south clashes and to allow the United Nations access to tense border areas.

"The United Nations, in particular the Security Council, should put an eye on Sudan and make sure that the security arrangements do not collapse," Arman said.

Sudan's north-south war has raged on and off since 1955, fueled by issues of ethnicity, ideology, religion and oil.

(Reporting by Opheera McDoom)

UN urged to check 'security violations' in south Sudan
From AFP (Khartoum) - Saturday, 08 May 2010:

A former rebel group on Saturday urged the United Nations to verify its charge that the government is arming militias and tribesmen ahead of next year's independence referendum for south Sudan.

"The United Nations should verify and should be present all over the place where there are violations of the security arrangement," Yasser Arman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) told reporters in Khartoum.

"This is the mandate of the United Nations forces here: they should take this mandate, we call upon them to take this mandate seriously and to verify all accusations from different sides."

"Verification is very important and is not happening," added Arman, whose name appeared on ballot papers in last month's presidential election, despite the fact he withdrew from the race ahead of polling day.

President Omar al-Beshir was returned to power in the election.

Clashes two weeks ago between Arabs of the Rizeygat tribe and southern military forces on the border between war-torn Darfur in west Sudan and south Sudan resulted in the deaths of 55 people.

Earlier, there was fighting between Misseriya Arab tribesmen and southern forces.

In both instances, southern forces accused the central government in Khartoum of arming tribes in a bid to destabilise the vast semi-autonomous south, where an independence referendum is due next January.

"We think there is a big game to destabilise the south from within and from without. From within through militias and other connections and from without in the name of certain tribes," Arman said on Saturday.

Sudan currently hosts two international peacekeeping forces.

The 10,000-strong United Nation's peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) monitors the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the 22-year north-south civil war in 2005.

UNAMID is a joint United Nations and African Union force deployed in Darfur.

Peacekeepers in Sudan need Sudanese army permission to enter certain areas in the north and authorisation from the southern forces for the south, but sometimes such requests are denied.

SPLM alleges NCP plot to arm southerner militias
From MirayaFM - Sunday, 09 May 2010 19:40:

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) has demanded an investigation into an alleged plot by the National Congress Party (NCP) to arm militias in the south aimed at disrupting the work of the North-South Border Demarcation Committee and obstructing South Sudan's self determination process.

Addressing the press in Khartoum on Sunday, SPLM Deputy Secretary General-northern sector, Yasir Arman (photo, left), said the NCP is hindering the south secession process "through technical ways".

The SPLM has requested that the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) launch the inquiry, calling on UNMIS to exercise its rights within its mandate.

Yasir stressed that the vision of both the SPLM in the north and south is that of a new Sudan and called all southerners voluntary unity.

Meanwhile, Head of the Technical Committee for North-South Border Demarcation, Abdulla Al Sadiq, has said that the committee will complete its work by November 2010. Sadiq stated that by then, borders will be demarcated from Central Africa to Ethiopia.

The Technical Head added that the committee's work have not been disrupted by the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) or Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), saying that both armies are only concerned about security issues.

Al Sadiq told Radio Miraya that the final report of the Technical Committee will be raised to the presidency for approval ahead of the Southern Sudan referendum process in November.

Meanwhile, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) has accused the National Congress Party (NCP) of arming militias in the south to impede the work of the North-South Border Demarcation Committee and also to obstruct Southern Sudan's self-determination process.

Addressing the press in Khartoum on Saturday, the SPLM Deputy Secretary General in northern sector, Yasir Arman, called on all parties to accept the outcome of the referendum results.

The Technical Committee on the Demarcation of 1956 Boundaries between Northern and Southern Sudan, had earlier announced the conclusion of the demarcation process in the Eastern Sector, which comprises of White and Blue Nile, Sennar, and Upper Nile States.

Click and listen to SPLM Deputy Secretary General -northern sector, Yasir Arman

Click and listen to Head of North-South Border Demarcation, Abdulla al Sadiq

Further reading

Editor of Sudanese newspaper Ajras AlHuriya charged with publishing false news
Radio Miraya - 09 May 2010
The Editor of Ajras AlHuriya newspaper, Alhaj Warraq was charged on Sunday with publishing false news and undermining the dignity of the state, an offence punishable by up to six months in jail. Faiz al-Silaik, Acting Editor-in-Chief of Ajras AlHuriya, a newspaper alleged to be affiliated to Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), said he considers the charge an attack on press freedom. [...]

SPLM calls for new alliance to support South Sudan referendum
Sudan Tribune - 09 May 2010
May 8, 2010 (KHARTOUM) - The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) today called for the formation of a new political alliance to establish the New Sudan and to support southern Sudan right of self-determination. [...]

Sudan resumes demarcation of north-South border
Sudan Tribune - 29 April 2010
April 28, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities have started the penultimate stage of North- South boundary demarcation, ahead of the expected referendum on southern Sudan self-determination. [...]

Abyei one year after the Roadmap
Radio Miraya - 09 June 2009

Don't rubbish Sudan elections - Former U.S. President Carter will be among the official observers

Don't rubbish Sudan elections
From Cif Guardian.co.uk
By Simon Tisdall, Friday 9 April 2010:

The elections won't be perfect, but the chorus of condemnation from those pursuing a Darfur-focused agenda misses the point



A Sudanese man kisses a picture of President Omar al-Bashir at a protest against the arrest warrant issued against him last year. Photograph: Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty

Not a single vote has yet been cast in Sudan's elections but already international pressure groups and domestic opponents of the current government are queuing up to rubbish the process. This chorus of condemnation seems a little premature. It also misses the point. While it's likely the polls will be flawed in important respects, in a fundamental sense, that does not matter. For the major players inside and outside Sudan, the elections, beginning on Sunday, are merely a staging post on a much longer journey.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court, is among the most outspoken critics. He said sending EU and African Union observers to monitor the vote was a waste of time. "It's like monitoring a Hitler election," he said. Moreno-Ocampo urged western countries to concentrate instead on arresting Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, charged by the ICC with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Moreno-Ocampo has a particular axe to grind. Like the Waging Peace and the Save Darfur Coalition pressure groups, broader issues of democratic governance and implementation of the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) that ended Sudan's ruinous north-south civil war take second place, in his view, to the importance of avenging Darfur and arraigning Bashir in The Hague.

"It is clear to all observers that these much heralded 'multi-party elections' have never been more than an attempt by [Bashir] to legitimise his position in the eyes of the international community," said Sophie McCann of Waging Peace. The process was "unsalvageable". For its part, Save Darfur seized on the partial poll boycott by some opposition parties to urge the US, Britain and others to disown the whole business and condemn Bashir's "dictatorial rule".

Mixed motives also lie behind the decision of the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), the main southern political party, to boycott polling in Darfur and the north. The SPLM and other opposition groups have voiced concerns about the accuracy of the 2008 census on which voting is based, the ruling National Congress party's (NCP) monopoly of state resources, and alleged bias of the national elections commission.

These worries are shared by independent organisations such as the Carter Centre (former US president Jimmy Carter is due in Sudan with 60 observers) and the International Crisis Group, which says many displaced Darfuris will be denied a vote. Human Rights Watch accuses both the government and the SPLM of intimidating political rivals, although the picture is mixed. Overall, media controls have been relaxed and some opposition leaders have been give airtime.

Yet Sudan experts say it's clear that the SPLM's main concern is not the elections at all, but rather avoiding any delay to January's CPA-directed referendum on southern independence (which is widely expected to result in Sudan's partition). Thus its decision not to contest the presidential or parliamentary votes in northern areas suits Bashir's NCP very well, despite protestations to the contrary. The unspoken deal is plain enough: Bashir the bogeyman gets re-elected and relegitimised, while the south (comprising 25% of the population) and its US-backed president, Salva Kiir, gets independence (and 50% of Sudan's oil wealth).

Political opportunism and pragmatism have combined neatly. "The SPLM decided to pull out simply because they know they are not going to win the presidency," said NCP official Omar Rahma in an al-Jazeera interview. Nor does the SPLM seem troubled by the fact that its unilateral decision to mount a partial boycott threw other opposition parties, with which it was supposedly co-ordinating, into confusion. That the SPLM boycott worries western pressure groups is a measure of their naivety.

The Obama administration and Britain cannot be accused of such credulousness. What they most want from these elections is already clear – and it is not a democratic showcase or Bashir's arrest. They want north-south deals on border demarcation and oil-revenue sharing, settlements in trouble spots such as Abyei and South Kordofan, and a successful independence referendum as envisaged by the CPA. The US, in particular, sees a future southern Sudanese republic as an important ally.

The western powers see in this outcome the prospect of a final, lasting peace in Darfur, wider regional stability encompassing Chad, and ultimately, Khartoum's rehabilitation. A recent joint statement by the foreign secretary David Miliband and the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton set priorities: "Irrespective of the outcome of elections, it is essential that work continues and is accelerated to meet remaining CPA deadlines."

Predictions that Sudan's elections will produce an Afghanistan-style fiasco of rigging and recrimination misunderstand the position. All the main actors want a success, and that is what they will most probably deem the polls to be, with the usual caveats and reservations, almost whatever the outcome. This conformity of purpose elicited a remarkable boast from Bashir, speaking in Sinar on the Blue Nile last week: "Even America is becoming an NCP member. No one is against our will."

Simon Tisdall (pictured above) is an assistant editor of the Guardian and a foreign affairs columnist. He was previously a foreign leader writer for the paper and has also served as its foreign editor and its US editor, based in Washington DC. He was the Observer's foreign editor from 1996-98

Further reading



Former US President Jimmy Carter speaks to reporters as he arrives at Khartoum International Airport, ahead of the country's national elections on April 11. "We are hoping and praying that it will be a fair and honest election for those are participating," Carter said. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly Thu Apr 8, 2010)



Former US President Jimmy Carter, left, leaves after speaking to the media following his arrival in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 8, 2010. The Carter Center said Thursday that former President Jimmy Carter will be among the official observers when Sudan conducts national elections next week. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)



A Sudanese man reads a newspaper under posters of presidential candidates in Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)



A campaign poster for Sudan People's Liberation Movement's southern presidential candidate Salva Kiir hangs from a tree in a remote village in Dongoi in Western Equatorial State, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly)



Sudanese election officials receive training during a mock voting session ahead of Sunday's general election, in the village of Mvolo in Western Equatorial State, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly)



Workers from the National Elections Commission (NEC) prepare polling boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center in Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin)



Workers from the National Elections Commission (NEC) carry polling boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center in Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldi)



A Sudanese worker from the National Elections Commission (NEC) checks ballot boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center of Khartoum April 8, 2010 (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)



Sonia, a French adviser for the Sudanese National Elections Commission (NEC), checks ballot boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center of Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)



A Sudanese worker loads election material including ballot papers and voting booths into a waiting helicopter of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur, UNAMID to be transported to the voting center of the north Darfur town of Mellit, in the airport of el Fasher, Darfur, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. Preparations continue for the upcoming multiparty general elections in Sudan starting on April 13. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A Sudanese refugee boy walks past a UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) vehicle near a polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the north Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeeper stands guard near a polling station, in background, at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Sudanese refugee boys stand by a UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeeper guarding a nearby polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeepers patrol the area surrounding a polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the north Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Sudanese police patrol in the town of Al Fasher, northern Darfur April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



European Union chief elections observer Veronique De Keyser speaks to journalists at Abu Shouk camp outside El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



European Union election observers leave El Fasher airport in North Darfur, led by EU chief observer Veronique De Keyser (centre), April 7, 2010. The European Union on Wednesday withdrew its election observers from Sudan's Darfur region, saying safety fears were hindering their work. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



A European Union election observer boards a plane at El Fasher airport in North Darfur April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



A Sudanese woman crosses the street infront of a vehicle with electoral posters on the hood at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A disabled woman on a tricycle rides past campaign posters for the upcoming April 11 presidential and legislative elections in the town of Al Fasher, northern Darfur April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



A Sudanese woman uses her mobile while passing by electoral posters at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Confused Signals From SPLM Over Northern Boycott - Or Is It Withdrawal?
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Juba) – SPLM chairman Salva Kiir Mayardit says his party has withdrawn its candidate for the presidency, Yasir Arman, but has not called for a general boycott of the elections in the north, as announced on Wednesday by the SPLM secretary-general, Pagan Amum.

SSHEC Satisfied With Progress of Elections Run-Up
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Merowe) – President Omar al-Bashir has reiterated that there will be free and fair elections throughout the country. Addressing the public during the official opening of a hydro-electric plant at Merowe Dam on Thursday, President al-Bashir said elections which will begin on Sunday will be free of any irregularities. President al-Bashir was speaking at Merowe Dam, at the end of his presidential campaign.

Al-Bashir Says Elections Shall Be Fair Because It Is God's Will
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Juba) – The South Sudan High Elections Committee has described the campaign period for the April elections as ‘peaceful and without irregularities’. Jersa Kide Barsaba told SRS that the Committee has only received one official complaint which it could not verify.



Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to the press after meeting officials of the national election commission at their headquarters in Khartoum April 9, 2010. Sudan's first multi-party elections in 24 years are on track to start on Sunday, with Khartoum dismissing a U.S. suggestion that it would consider supporting a brief delay to ensure greater stability. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Fri Apr 9, 1:11 PM ET)



International observers from the U.S.-based Carter Center prepare to leave for Sudan's Northern states to monitor voting, in Khartoum April 9, 2010. Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Fri Apr 9, 1:38 PM ET)

US envoy Gration says Sudan vote would be as "free and as fair as possible"

US special envoy to Sudan Scott Gration said on Saturday [April 03] he was confident Sudan's first general elections since 1986 would be as "free and fair as possible" and would start on time on April 11.

"They (electoral commission members) have given me confidence that the elections will start on time and they would be as free and as fair as possible," said Gration.

"These people have gone to great lengths to ensure that the people of Sudan will have access to polling places and that the procedures and processes will ensure transparency," he said.

On Wednesday, Yasser Arman, the presidential candidate for the former southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement, withdrew from race after Beshir ruled out delaying the vote.

"I took the decision to withdraw for two reasons. Firstly, after having campaigned in Darfur, I realised that it was impossible to hold elections there due to the current state of emergency," he told AFP.

"Secondly, there are irregularities in the electoral process which is rigged."

Arman said, however, that the SPLM will field candidates in regional and legislative elections "across Sudan, except for Darfur."

Full story by Guillaume Lavallee (AFP) Khartoum, ‎Saturday, 03 April 2010:
Sudan vote free and as fair as possible: US envoy



Photo: U.S. envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, smiles as he leaves after his meeting with vice secretary general of the national elections commission Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah in Khartoum, April 3, 2010. One of Sudan's largest opposition parties said on Friday it would boycott presidential, legislative and gubernatorial polls if government did not meet demands, including a four-week postponement, within four days. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



Photo: Vice secretary general of the national elections commission Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah talks to reporters after his meeting with U.S. envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, in Khartoum, April 3, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra).



Photo: U.S. envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, talks to reporters after his meeting with vice secretary general of the national elections commission Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah in Khartoum, April 3, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)

Related reports

'No delay' for Sudan's national elections
BBC News - Saturday, 3 April 2010 13:01 UK

Sudan Says Election to Start on Time Despite Protest
New York Times - By Opheera McDoom (Reuters) KHARTOUM - Saturday, 3 April 2010

SPLM says Arman would not stand against Sudan's President Bashir

Report from SRS (Sudan Radio Service) Thursday, 01 April 2010 (Nairobi):

Yasir Arman, the SPLM’s nominee in Sudan’s presidential elections, has withdrawn his candidacy.

In an announcement on Thursday evening, the SPLM said that Arman would not stand against President Omar al-Bashir.

The SPLM are citing irregularities in the elections process, a failure to resolve the Darfur conflict and what opposition parties describe as NCP attempts to rig the elections, scheduled for 11-13 April, as their reasons for withdrawing. Seventeen opposition parties are expected to announce later on Thursday whether they will boycott the elections.

The SPLM position on whether they will participate in the poll or call for a postponement remains unclear, despite a meeting on Wednesday in Khartoum between senior SPLM and NCP officials to discuss the issue.

President al-Bashir, speaking on Tuesday, threatened that any delay in the elections would result in the postponement of the referendum to determine the future of southern Sudan. The referendum is scheduled for January 2011.

Photo: Yasir Arman

Key candidate quits Sudan polls

Southern Sudan's main candidate for national president pulls out of the race, casting doubt on the electoral process.

Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/africa/8597996.stm

Sudan opposition stunned by Arman's withdrawal
The decision to withdraw the candidacy of Yasir Arman was reached in the Southern Sudan’s capital, Juba, during the party’s Political Bureau extraordinary meeting which took place on Wednesday.

Full story:

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article34607

SPLM quits Sudan presidential poll

The decision "We decided that Yasir [Arman] should end his campaign for the presidency of the Republic," Riek Machar, the SPLM vice-chairman, said.

Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from the capital, Khartoum, said Arman's withdrawal is significant because he was seen as the favourite to compete with Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's president.

"Yasir Arman is a Muslim from the north but he joined the Sudan's Liberation Movement when it was fighting the government in the north," he said.

"For many years, he was a high-ranking official in the SPLM until 2005 when the peace agreement accord was struck putting the war between the north and south at hold.

Full story:

http://english.aljazeera.net//news/africa/2010/03/2010331201718561378.html
- - -

News from SRS (Sudan Radio Service) Wednesday 31 March 2010

• SPLM Still Undecided About Postponing Elections - The SPLM sent a four-member delegation to Khartoum comprising of Dr. Riek Machar, Pagan Amum, Yasir Arman and Deng Alor to consult with the National Congress Party about the possibility of having the presidency discuss the opposition parties’ demand that the elections should be postponed.
  
  
• JEM Refuses to Sign Darfur Peace Deal with GONU - GoNU and JEM have reached a deadlock over the terms of a Darfur peace agreement which had been scheduled to be signed on 15 March.
  However Dr. Khalil Ibrahim has threatened that JEM will overthrow the government in Khartoum if they fail to sign a peace deal. One of JEM’s main conditions in the Doha talks was the postponement of the elections scheduled for April. [Dr. Khalil Ibrahim]: "JEM was founded not for engaging in peace agreements, it was founded to change the government in Sudan, and it will continue to do so."
  
  
• ICG Report Accuses NCP of Rigging Elections
• Election Observer Presses for Elections to Go Ahead
• Sudan Printing Press Declares Its Independence and Integrity
• NEC Meets Carter Center to Discuss Report
• International Mine Awareness Day in Juba

Sudan: Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS urges journalists to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections

Quote of the Day

“It is incredibly important for journalists to verify information. They must not spread rumors and they should try to reflect the opinion of experts as well as the diversity of opinion within Sudanese society and I think in that way we can help these elections to be peaceful." - James Ray Kennedy, Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, 11 Feb 2010

Speaking to Sudan Radio Service in Khartoum on Thursday, the Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, James Ray Kennedy, urged Sudanese journalists and international correspondents to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections. (See full report here below).

P.S. Thank you to the Sudan Watch readers who have sent in news for publication here. I have not forgotten you. At this very delicate and sensitive time for Sudan and its neighbouring countries, I am mindful of how quickly information (and rumours and falsehoods) can spread via computers, mobile texting, phones, satellite receivers and word of mouth (note how a translation error led to an international incident). As usual, I endeavour to be careful and verify information published here. I want peace for Sudan and for all of its inhabitants (animals included) to have access to food, safe drinking water and medical care. God bless the peacemakers, journalists and children of Sudan and keep them safe from harm.

Election Campaign Begins in Sudan

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The elections campaign was officially launched on Saturday ahead of the general elections scheduled for April.

The NCP presidential candidate, Omar al-Bashir, launched his campaign at the Al-Hilal football stadium in Khartoum on Saturday.

The SPLM candidate Yasir Arman launched his campaign on Sunday, from the house of the late Ali Abdel-Latif, a prominent nationalist figure who led a resistance movement against the British in 1924.

SRS asked two political analysts for their impressions of the beginning of the campaign.

Taj Al-Sir Maki spoke to SRS from Khartoum.

[Taj Al-Sir Maki]: “I think that the launch of the NCP campaign was not all that successful at Al-Hilal stadium, despite the fact that the NCP has been controlling the media for 20 years. But the SPLM campaign which started from the house of the late hero Abdel Latif, was stronger because they are introducing a new project and they haven’t been tested yet. They are introducing a new project and they are calling for voluntary unity in Sudan, calling for a democratic Sudan that all Sudanese are calling for generally. The NCP campaigns came to support the same leadership everybody knows. So from my point of view, the NCP campaign didn’t present anything new.”

Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin also expressed his views about the launch of the elections campaign.

[Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin]: “In fact, the election campaign started for all political parties, not just the NCP and the SPLM. The Popular Congress Party and the Sudan Communist Party launched their campaigns as well. Generally, the campaigns have started smoothly and all political parties were allowed to conduct peaceful marches around Khartoum, which was not allowed before, and that is a good thing. It seems that the NCP launched their campaign in Al-Hilal stadium to attract Al-Hilal fans and they funded the Al-Hilal team without announcing it. Arman launched his campaign at the Abdel Latif house, because he wanted it to be a symbol of unity between south and north. Arman is really busy to ensure that there should not be a clear separation between south and north, and this line is welcomed.”

Taj Al-Sir Maki and Prof. Al-Tayib Zain Al-Abdin were speaking to SRS about the launch of the election campaign in Sudan.

Photo: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir arrives to a campaign rally at Al-Hilal Stadium in Khartoum. Bashir launched his re-election bid with great fanfare, extolling his 21 years in power and pledging to the unity of Africa's biggest nation. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly)



Photo: A supporter of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir attends a campaign rally at Al-Hilal Stadium in Khartoum. Bashir faces his first real electoral test in April, when he is being challenged by 11 opposition candidates, among them former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and former rebel leader Yasser Arman. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly)



Photo: Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir addresses supporters at the Friendship Hall in the capital Khartoum, 9 February 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah) See news updates at the website of Albashir.
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Kiir launches his election campaign on Saturday, 20 Feb



Photo: Salva Kiir Mayardit, Vice President of The Republic of Sudan, President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS)

The incumbent President of the semi-autonomous region of Southern Sudan and chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) is scheduled to officially launch his election campaign on Saturday, 20th February.

Salva Kiir Mayardit was nominated by his ruling party to contest for the post of the president of the Government of Southern Sudan. He will compete against another presidential candidate in the South, Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin, chairman of the breakaway Sudan People’s Liberation Movement for Democratic Change (SPLM-DC).

Dr. Lam Akol is currently based in Khartoum and has not yet officially launched his campaign in the South.

Full story at Sudan Tribune by James Gatdet Dak, (JUBA) Tuesday, 16 February 2010.
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Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS urged journalists to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections

Elections a Litmus Test for Democracy in Sudan Says UNMIS
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The United Nations Mission in Sudan says the forthcoming general elections will be a “litmus test” for democracy in Sudan.

Speaking to SRS in Khartoum on Thursday, the Chief Electoral Affairs Officer of UNMIS, James Ray Kennedy, urged Sudanese journalists and international correspondents to report objectively and responsibly during the general elections.

[James Ray Kennedy]: “It is incredibly important for journalists to verify information. They must not spread rumors and they should try to reflect the opinion of experts as well as the diversity of opinion within Sudanese society and I think in that way we can help these elections to be peaceful. I think if we succeed in holding peaceful and credible elections in 2010 in Sudan, there is a very good chance that we can see elections on a regular basis in Sudan. We have not seen democratic elections on a routine basis in Sudan; it seems to have been more of an exceptional thing rather than a routine thing.”

Kennedy also said that although the war is still going in Darfur, he believes that it is possible to hold peaceful elections in Darfur.

[James Ray Kennedy]: “I think what we need to look at is the voter registration exercise. Voter registration did not reach 100 per cent of the population in Darfur but it reached a very high percentage of the population and it reached it in a very peaceful manner. We hope and believe that it will be possible to have elections in Darfur that are relatively peaceful, that are relatively successful. I say quite often that there is no such a thing as a perfect election anywhere but we are all working to make these elections as good as possible under very difficult circumstances - including in Darfur.”

James Ray Kennedy also urged the people of southern Sudan who are eligible to vote in the referendum to turn out in big numbers and vote in order to determine the future of the Sudan.

Photo: Sudanese women register for national elections in Khartoum, 2009. Presidential hopefuls in Sudan, Africa's largest country, have begun campaigning for the first multi-party poll since 1986. (AFP/File/Ashraf Shazly)
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Arman Meets Darfur SPLM Delegation in Khartoum

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Khartoum) - The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement’s presidential candidate, Yasir Arman, met an SPLM delegation from Darfur on Thursday and Friday in Khartoum.

In the meeting, the SPLM leaders discussed the political, humanitarian and security situation in Darfur.

One of the delegates, the SPLM secretary in Western Darfur state, Mohamed Abubakar Juma, spoke to SRS from Khartoum on Saturday.

[Mohamed Abubakar]: “Among the issues discussed regarding the Darfur crisis was the insecurity and also the difficulty in reaching some of the voters in most areas. We have also talked about the current Doha talks in relation to the general election. After the meeting, we agreed that we should request the government and the Elections Commission to coordinate with the international community for the sake of free and fair elections. Some of the things we have agreed on were that the emergency conditions should be lifted. The Darfur crisis must be solved quickly and also we must work together with UNAMID.”

The Darfur SPLM leaders also called for the quick resolution of the Darfur conflict before the general elections in April. They also called on the anti-government groups to unite and fight as one for Darfur.

Photo: A girl digs for mud to make bricks, in the Abu Shouk camp outside El Fasher, North Darfur, 9 February 2010. Picture taken 9 February 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



Photo: A displaced boy wears a t-shirt printed with a picture of U.S. President Barack Obama, in the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur, 8 February 2010. Picture taken 8 February 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)

Note (seen on Albashir website, Sudanese Press in brief, Thursday, 11 February 2010): (Alraid) - Obama's brother is in Khartoum to participant at the meeting of Munazzamat al-Da’wa al-Islamiia.
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UMMA Party Heals Divisions and Unites

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Juba) - The UMMA National Party and the UMMA Reform and Renewal party have decided to unite under the umbrella name of the UMMA National Party.

The Chairman of the UMMA Reform and Renewal party, Mubarak Al Fadil, told SRS from Juba on Sunday that the unity of the parties came at a very critical time.

[Mubarak Al Fadil]: “The announcement of the political unity between the two parties came at a critical time in Sudanese politics. There are so many important issues going on, among them are the referendum in 2011 which might lead to the secession of a beloved part of the nation, and at the moment Sudan is witnessing a war in Darfur and instability in Southern Darfur, the Nuba mountains and the east. Sudan is indeed undergoing a lot of problems and there is a possibility that the nation might break into so many parts.”

Al Fadil also said the unity of the UMMA party is a step in the right direction. He said that it will play a major role in stabilizing the nation and supporting peace in Sudan.

Photo: Relatives and students carry the body of Darfuri student Mohamed Musa in Omdurman locality in Khartoum, 15 February 2010. Armed riot police surrounded hundreds of protesters at the funeral of Musa, 23, who colleagues said was tortured and killed by Sudanese authorities in a case that has sparked tensions ahead of elections. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)



Photo: Sudan-appointed special prosecutor Nimr Mohamed addresses a news conference at the U.N. offices in the capital Khartoum, 11 February 2010. Mohamed, Sudan's special prosecutor for crimes in Darfur, has not charged or tried anyone, and the government must speed up trials or lose the confidence of the people, a U.N.-appointed human rights expert said on Thursday. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)
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SPLM to discuss NCP’s suggestions to resolve South Kordofan election boycott

From Mirayafm, Tuesday, 16 February 2010:

The Political Bureau of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) will meet on Tuesday to discuss the suggestions of National Congress Party (NCP) to resolve the SPLM boycotting the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in South Kordofan State, SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum confirmed to Miraya FM.

Earlier the Governor of South Kordofan State, Ahmed Haroun, who leads the NCP delegation to Juba, delivered a message from the Chairman of the NCP, Omer Al Bashir, to the SPLM Political Bureau, suggesting solutions to overcome the crisis.

Meanwhile, Amum also told Miraya FM that the SPLM Political Bureau will hold a meeting to make a final decision on party members who chose to contest as independent candidates.

Darfur peacekeepers get helicopters after long wait

On Tuesday, Sudan's neighbour Ethiopia became the first country to respond to the call by sending five tactical helicopters to Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, said UNAMID.

"This will make a huge difference ... Only one country has been able to help us. An African country has supported us," force spokesman Noureddine Mezni told Reuters.

"We still need more, at least 18 in total. Up to now we have had zero tactical helicopters ... Imagine managing without this mobility in such a huge area."

Full story: Reuters, Tuesday, 16 February 2010.
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Sudan Sports Latest

From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 15 February 2010:

(Nairobi) - Al Hilal FC won the Bani Yas friendly tournament cup after defeating the hosts Bani Yas on Saturday.

The match officially finished with a 2-2 draw leading to the penalty kicks which ended 5-4. Al Hilal’s striker Mohamed Al Tahir was awarded the tournament’s top scorer trophy.

Only four teams participated in the friendly mini-tournament which was organized by Emirates’ Bani Yas FC to celebrate the opening of the club’s new stadium.

Meanwhile, Al Merriekh FC on Sunday drew one-nil with their Ethiopian hosts Saint George during the preliminary round of the African Champions’ league.

The team returned to Khartoum on Monday morning after being away from the country for about four weeks.

And in other football news, in Rwanda, Amal Atbara FC lost their African Union Confederation Cup game against Rwanda’s Atrako 2-0 on Sunday.

And finally in Khartoum, the teenage football team from the state of Equatoria won the first National Junior Football Championship after defeating Al Jazeera 2-1 in the finals on Saturday at the Inkhaz stadium.

With special credit and thanks to:

Charles Haskins
News Programming Advisor
Sudan Radio Service (SRS)
A project of Education Development Center
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