The closure of schools and kindergartens in Red Sea State, eastern Sudan, has prompted the local liberation front to reaffirm its support of the Sudanese Liberation Front (SLF).<\/p>\n
Red Sea State\u2019s Ministry of Education announced this week that the schools will close \u201cdue to a lack of drinking water\u201d.<\/p>\n
Responding to the announcement in an interview with Radio Dabanga, the Secretary General of the Eastern Sudan Liberation and Justice Front, Sayed Ali Abu Amna, described the situation in eastern Sudan as \u201ca real disaster by all standards\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe water scarcity is only the beginning of the problem,\u201d he said. \u201cThen, there is the lack of provision of services and development.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Eastern Sudan Liberation and Justice Front is made up of 18 factions representing all components of eastern Sudan. Amna says that his Front\u2019s aim is \u201cto topple the Khartoum regime in collaboration with other opposition factions.” He underlined that his Front\u2019s cause is \u201cfor all of Sudan’s dignity, justice and democracy\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur Front has taken its natural Sudanese position with the national consensus forces and the SRF to overthrow the regime,\u201d said Amna. \u201cThe regime managed to deliver an oil pipeline from the far south to the far east, but failed to do so with water pipes from the Atbara River to Port Sudan. This shows how the regime deals with services and water issues \u2013 for commercial interest.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amna welcomes the position taken by the leaders of the National Congress of the Legislative Council of Port Sudan, who have threatened to resign en masse should basic services not be provided to Eastern Sudan. In the interview, Amna sharply criticised Sudan\u2019s President Al Bashir. \u201cThe Eastern Front supports the opposition and the SRF in their goal to overthrow Al Bashir.<\/p>\n
\u201cAl Bashir is not reliable, he always withdraws his statements and is not considered a legitimate president,\u201d Amna said. \u201cHe came to power through fraudulent elections, so he does not truly represent Sudan. His mandate has come to an end and the current Constitution is illegitimate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The situation grew tense in eastern Sudan following Khartoum’s recent announcement of \u201cthe futility of the pipeline project\u201d designed to carry essential drinking water from the Nile to the city of Port Sudan.<\/p>\n
In an emergency session of the Legislative Council of the Red Sea State on Wednesday, local politician Ali Baleit accused the central government of \u201cfocusing development in the Hamdi triangle\u201d.<\/p>\n
Baleit launched an attack on the Khartoum government, urging the Red Sea State and the Eastern Region \u201cto draw-up a strategy that allows them to take advantage of their resources, instead of begging development from the ruling centre that pays no attention to the issues and pains of either State.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baleit also criticised government officials who \u201chold foreign nationalities yet presume to control the fate of the Sudanese.\u201d<\/p>\n
File photo by Albert Gonz\u00e1lez Farran\/Unamid<\/em><\/p>\n
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