SPLM-N denies alleged request for alliance from Sudanese army against RSF

May 30, 2024 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) has categorically denied receiving a request from the Sudanese army to join forces against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), in war against Sudan. army since April 15, 2023.

In an interview with the Sudan Tribune in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on the sidelines of the founding conference of the coordination of democratic civil forces “Tagadum”, SPLM-N Secretary General Amun said that the government delegation which recently negotiated with them in Juba did not at all propose or hint at such a request.

He added: “We are at war with the government. Last April, a Sudanese army Antonov plane bombed a school in the Khadra region, killing 11 children aged 8 to 9 years old at the time. The same day, they bombed the village of Al-Quneizia, where women were fetching water from a pump, resulting in the death of 5 women. We are at war with the government and we do not expect them to ask us to fight alongside them.”

He revealed that direct questions were asked of the government delegation led by the deputy commander-in-chief of the army, Shams al-Din Kabbashi, saying: “We asked them during the negotiations: where does this humanity come from? ? A month ago you killed our children aged 8 and 9, and today you are talking about a humanitarian motive to save people from death. Where does this sudden humanity come from?

Tagadum, a platform for a new Sudan

Amon considered the Tagadum founding conference as a good opportunity to establish a launching platform for building a new Sudan.

He continued: “All the repeated civil wars in Sudan since its independence are due to the lack of adequate foundations for a post-colonial Sudan. In a history spanning 69 years, there has never been consensus among national governments on a founding platform for Sudan, resulting in Sudan becoming a civil state that has not not started correctly.

He said the founding conference provided an opportunity for the Tagadum coalition to form a broad national front that would provide a launching pad for building a new Sudan. He added that they will wait until the end of the conference to present their vision to the alliance's new governing body.

Amun described the humanitarian situation in Sudan as dire, stressing that some regions, such as Darfur, are suffering more than others. He affirmed the principle of indivisible human dignity, stressing that the fragmentation of humanitarian work is unacceptable, as is the case with the Port Sudan government's proposal to distribute humanitarian aid to only three states.

Amun explained that limiting humanitarian aid to certain areas is not enough, as other war-affected areas need help. He questioned why the government had not included all those affected by the war in Sudan, considering that humanity should encompass everyone. “If there are genuine humanitarian intentions, aid should include all those affected by the war in Sudan. »

Inclusive humanitarian negotiations

Amun denied that the SPLM-N requested or conditioned the inclusion of the Rapid Support Forces in the negotiations, saying: “We did not say that the Rapid Support Forces should be included. Instead, we said that there are parties that control areas and that if these parties are excluded from an agreement, they can obstruct the delivery of aid. These parties control areas where there are citizens who need help.

However, he confirmed that the SPLM-N has a clear vision represented by a specific and clear demand that all parties bearing arms and fighting in Sudan should be part of an agreement aimed at reconciling humanitarian conditions so that no agreement related to the delivery of humanitarian aid is obstructed.

Addressing historical root causes

Regarding the reservations expressed by members of the Tagadum party regarding certain issues included in the “Nairobi Declaration” signed two weeks ago between the leader of the coalition, Abdallah Hamdok, and the head of the leader of the SPLM-N, Abdel Aziz al -Hilu, Amon said: “Our position within the SPLM-N is clear. Delaying the debate on the historical roots of Sudan's recurring wars leads people to avoid addressing these causes, resulting in continued wars. The time has come for Tagadum to bravely face all these issues and bring them to the round table or any other platform to discuss and resolve them. Otherwise, this country to which we belong will eventually disintegrate due to our failure and lack of courage to address the causes of wars that erode the foundations of the state.”

Amon expected that the Tagadum Coordination would not be influenced by old Sudanese ideas, believing that allowing such influence would not advance the coalition.

Amon was referring to the position of the National Umma Party, which asserts that an agreement on a secular state should only be discussed and approved by a constitutional conference to be held after the end of the war.

Skepticism towards Egypt-hosted dialogue

The SPLM-N Secretary General stressed that the SPLM-N has not yet received an invitation from the Egyptian government to participate in the intra-Sudanese dialogue meeting scheduled for next June to discuss ways to end the crisis current.

He expressed skepticism over the proposed Egyptian dialogue, seeing it as a potential repeat of the 2015 dialogue process orchestrated by al-Bashir to maintain his grip on power.