Sudanese political and armed opposition agree to a unified front
Thu Dec 4, 2014 2:11am GMT
CAIRO Dec 4 (Reuters) - A spectrum of Sudanese political and armed
opposition groups put aside differences to sign a unity agreement Wednesday
night that they hope will strengthen a group's hand in talks with the regime
in two days.
The government has categorically refused to deal with its armed and unarmed
adversaries at the same forum and the opposition has been unable to overcome
differences to present a unified front.
The signatories hope it will send a message to the government that it must
deal with the opposition as one, although some large parties did not sign
the agreement.
"Solving Sudan's problems... would not be possible without (the opposition)
reaching a unified political platform," said the statement, which suggests
the closest coordination between the political and armed groups since the
secession of South Sudan in 2011.
The major political groups participating were the Islamist Umma party and
the National Consensus Forces, an alliance of mostly secular parties.
They were joined by a group representing the armed movements of three
war-torn regions: Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile and a group
representing civil society.
But despite the agreement, the government broadly expects it will not change
the status quo and a spokesman said "there would be a price" to pay for
cooperating with the rebels.
The government is negotiating with the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement-North, and the opposition hopes its hand will be strengthened by
the agreement in negotiations set to resume on Friday.
When the south seceded, it took with it both the oil wealth and the biggest
counterweight to the ruling coalition in the Sudan People's Liberation
Movement, which now rules South Sudan.
Clashes have been reported for the last several days in Sudan as the SPLM-N
negotiations with the government are suspended. (Reporting by Khalid
Abdelaziz; Writing by Shadi Bushra; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)