Sudan’s new presidential aides sworn in ArticleComments (3). Email PrintSave --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 30, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The newly-appointed assistants and advisers of Sudan’s president Omer Al-Bashir on Wednesday took the oath, including the two sons of leading opposition figures. Sudan’s newly appointed Presidential Assitant (R) takes his oath of office in front of Sudan’s President Omer Hassan al-Bashir in Khartoum November 30, 2011Abdul Rahman Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi and Jaffar Mohamed Osman Al-Mirghani were named on Tuesday among five assistants to president Al-Bashir. The first is the son of Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, leader of the National Umma Party (NUP), and the second is the son of Mohamed Osman Al-Mirghani, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the largest opposition parties in the country. Whereas the appointment of Al-Mirghani’s son was no surprise given the fact that the DUP has agreed to participate in Al-Bashir’s new government, the NUP swiftly disavowed Abdul Rahman’s participation, saying he’s representing himself as an individual since the party formally rejected participation in the government. Following the taking of his oath, Abdul Rahman Al-Mahdi emphatically denied that his appointment had anything to do with his father’s party. Speaking to reporters following the swearing-in ceremony, Abdul Rahman stressed that he was appointed in his capacity as an individual and that he does not represent neither his father nor the NUP. He was keen to point out that the NUP had declared a clear stance on participation and that he had left the party long time ago. Abdul Rahman, who served an officer in the Sudanese Army (SAF), said he would work from his new position towards achieving stability and loosening the noose of high living cost around ordinary citizens. He further pledged to exert maximum efforts to realize comprehensive peace and democratic transformation. “There is no doubt that there are many measures that will be taken to serve the interest of the country and its people in the coming period,” he was quoted. On the other hand, Jaffar Mohamed Osman Al-Mirghani said following his swearing-in that he would work as a matter of priority towards improving the living conditions of citizens. “Our choice to participate in the government came as a national imperative and on the basis of a political program to be signed between the DUP and the [ruling] National Congress [Party]” he told reporters. The son of the DUP’s leader further vowed to engage in a serious pursuit to improve the conditions in the regions of Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile and stop the war. The three regions are the scene of an armed conflict between the Sudanese army and rebel groups sharing claims of marginalization of these regions at the hand of the ruling elite in Khartoum. Darfur rebel group slams traditional opposition parties A rebel group from the restive region of Darfur in western Sudan has launched a severe attack against the DUP and the NUP as well as the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) of the veteran Islamist leader Hassan Al-Turabi, accusing them of being accomplices in the crimes it alleged were being committed by Al-Bashir’s regime. The Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel Wahid Nur released a statement on Wednesday slamming the three political parties and designating them as "partners" of the NCP in the "war crimes", “crimes against humanity” and "genocide" committed in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan "Therefore we call on the Sudanese people to hold them to legally accountable," the SLM’s release said. It further called on the Sudanese people to "eradicate those criminal dictators," referring to the leaders of the three parties and the ruling party. (ST) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
