SRF rebels call on Sudanese to overthrow Bashir’s regime

[Elisabeth Janaina]

SRF rebels call on Sudanese to overthrow Bashir’s regime

ArticleComments (18)
EmailPrintSave

June 9, 2013 (KHARTOUM) - The alliance of the rebel Sudanese
Revolutionary Front (SRF) urged the Sudanese people to rise up against
the regime of president Omer Al-Bashir, saying it is weakened by its
internal divisions.

The SRF launched its call after a meeting held on Sunday by its crisis
management committee to assess the situation in the country after
Bashir’s decision to shut down the flow of South Sudanese oil and
accused Juba of supporting rebel groups.

SRF rebels who fight against Khartoum in the southern and western
Sudanese states said Bashir "reckless decision" to stop oil flow
reveals the deep crisis of a regime which manages to maintain itself
in power by fabricating perpetual crises.

"The regime is impotent and experiencing a deep crisis and internal
divisions", said the SRF statement, adding that "Sudanese have to
bring down the regime as it is in its weakest conditions". The rebels
further called to intensify struggle by "all means" stressing that
"the fall down of the regime will open a new page for peace, liberty,
justice and democracy".

The opposition alliance National Consensus Forces (NCF) said Saturday
they endorsed a 100-day plan to bring down the regime, and called on
the Sudanese people to take the street peacefully against the regime.

NCF chairmen, Faroul Abu Essa, pointed out that the SRF remains an
"strategic ally" in their struggle against the regime, despite their
position against the use of arms in their struggle for democracy.

The SRF rebels vowed to support the efforts of political opposition
forces to overthrow the regime through peaceful action and called on
their supporters to participate actively in any no-violent protest to
topple the regime.

The rebels also called to unify all the efforts under one banner
reminding the role of the Sudanese street to bring down the two
military regimes of Aboud in October 1964 and Neimiri in April 1985.

The insurgents intend to control different provinces before to attack
Khartoum, but the opposition parties said they are not supportive of
this military plan. Also the two sides failed to reach a compromise
over the future of the country in term of constitutional principles
and regional administrative system but agreed to hold a constitutional
conference to discuss all these matters.

The SRF also asked the African Union and the international community
to support regime change in Sudan as the only viable solution for a
sustainable peace in the country and good relations with South Sudan.

The Sudanese opposition and the rebel groups are close to the ruling
party in Juba which was their ally in the past before to vote for an
independent state. However the opposition and rebel forces did not
define a clear position on how to settle Abyei issue and other border
disputed areas. They only call for peaceful coexistence and a
confederal system between the two nations.

The regional and international communities announced their support to
negotiated agreements with the rebel groups and another process to
ensure a democratic transition to implemented by an AU panel chaired
by the former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

(ST)