President Omar Al Bashir announced that the door for negotiations with the armed rebel movements in Sudan has been closed, and insisted on an armed campaign before entering any dialogue with them. According to several rebel leaders, Al Bashir’s statements showed “he does not want peace and security for Sudan”.<\/p>\n
Al Bashir addressed the leaders of the National Congress Party in Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile State, on Thursday. He said they “made many concessions”. “We gave the rebel movements all the opportunities for peace. We now closed all the doors of negotiation about power and wealth sharing, and will negotiate only about their amnesty.”<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year will be crucial for the elimination of the insurgency after the victories achieved by the Sudan Armed Forces in the strategic area of Malkan in Blue Nile state, and in South Kordofan and Darfur.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) commented to Radio Dabanga that the words of Al Bashir in Damazin reaffirmed that \u201cwhat the SRF and the political forces in Sudan already knew: Al Bashir and his NCP do not want peace, security and stability for Sudan. They want war and annihilation. They prefer the killing of civilians so that Al Bashir and the NCP can stay in power.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Jibril Ibrahim, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and co-Vice President of the SRF believes that peace for Sudan would mean the end of the regime. \u201cThat is something which Al Bashir clearly expressed in Damazin. Also, we do not want any amnesty. The only negotiations will be about the handover of power in the country and nothing else,\u201d he told Radio Dabanga on Friday.<\/p>\n
Abdel Wahid El Nur, head of the Sudan Liberation Movement-AW and co-Vice President of the SRF noted to Radio Dabanga that the NCP signed about 43 peace agreements, which did not lead to peace. \u201cThe signing of peace agreement number 44 will not realise any peace either.\u201d He stressed that closing the door to negotiations has opened the door to \u201cthe mass revolutionary struggle for change of this military regime\u201d. El Nur told the Sudanese people that it is time for a change towards equal citizenship and comprehensive peace.<\/p>\n
File photo: President Omar Al Bashir (ANP)<\/em><\/p>\n Related: <\/em>Rebels call Sudan’s claims of victory ‘a lie’ as fighting continues in Malkan, Blue Nile<\/a> (9 January 2014)<\/em><\/p>\n