---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Ashworth <[email protected]> Date: Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 12:36 PM Subject: [sudan-john-ashworth] Reform unlikely at Sudan Islamist meeting To: Group <[email protected]>
1. Reform unlikely at Sudan Islamist meeting: analysts By Ian Timberlake (AFP) – 14/11/12 KHARTOUM — Calls for change by Arab Spring-inspired reformers in Sudan will likely be ignored when thousands of government-linked Islamists begin meeting on Thursday, analysts say. The Islamic Movement, a social group at the heart of Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP), is holding its first national conference since uprisings and civil war began driving out authoritarian leaders around the region in 2011. While Islamists gained power through democratic elections in Egypt and Tunisia, a coup 23 years ago installed Sudan's Islamist regime -- and it is still there. Reformers say corruption and other problems have left the vast African nation's government Islamic in name only, and question how much longer President Omar al-Bashir should remain in power. But those calling for change lack the power to impose their views, and their hopes will be dashed, said Khalid Tigani, an analyst and chief editor of the weekly economic newspaper Elaff. "So this may lead to a new split" in the Movement, he said. Potential candidates to replace Bashir are jostling for influence within the Islamic Movement, he added. "I think this is because we are approaching a change in power," said Tigani, a former activist in the National Islamic Front party, which engineered the 1989 coup and who now calls himself an independent Islamist. The Islamic Movement is "one of the tools used by those who are in power to give themselves legitimacy among the Islamists, to continue controlling the government, the National Congress, in the name of Islam," he said. Ali Osman Taha, a government vice president, has been the Islamic Movement's secretary general for two terms and is not eligible to run again. Analysts say he is a possible successor to Bashir, who has announced he will step down as ruling party leader late next year. "A lot of people are saying 23 years is too long a time, and what's the difference between him and Mubarak and Assad?" said a Sudan analyst who asked for anonymity, referring to ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Syria's beleaguered President Bashar al-Assad. Questions over Bashir's future were reinforced when, according to official media, he had his second minor operation in less than four months last week after an infection to his vocal cords. He then appeared on television looking tired but healthy, and gave a typically fiery speech. Hassan al-Turabi, a key figure behind the 1989 coup, sees a rivalry between Bashir and Taha. "So both of them are competing" for control, along with others in the NCP, said Turabi, who believes Bashir wants to remain president to protect himself from arrest by the Hague-based International Criminal Court. The court has indicted Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Sudan's Darfur region, where a rebellion erupted in 2003. Turabi broke with Bashir years after the coup and formed his Islamist opposition party, the Popular Congress. While only about 12 percent of NCP members come from the Islamic Movement, most of the leadership belongs to the movement, said Amin Hassan Omer, from its ruling secretariat. He predicted "nothing specific" about succession will emerge from the conference, and said does not see a real power struggle in the Movement. Mahjoub Mohamed Salih, publisher of the independent Al-Ayaam newspaper, said the conference would highlight divisions between grassroots Islamists and NCP loyalists, though he does not see the movement fracturing. Some Islamists are now saying openly to the NCP: "You are just using Islam as a rationalisation for things which are un-Islamic," Salih said. Turabi calls it a "corrupt dictatorship, cruel dictatorship," which he does not want associated with Islam. Omer, a state minister in the presidency, said he expects such comments from critics but it is "nonsense" to suggest there is widespread dissatisfaction among younger Islamists over corruption. While Tigani said the "Arab uprising is reflected here in the hopes for change in Sudan," Omer said reformers would be disappointed despite "a general sense of urgency for change" in the Islamic Movement. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gULvBfrjLuqvp82LbCkEQbMZk1Bg?docId=CNG.f94755bf1c96d71948c8a0b1e2c0e8e1.761 END1 2. Sudan: Where next for country's leadership? By AFP | Tuesday, November 13 2012 at 10:15 Calls for change by Arab Spring-inspired reformers in Sudan will likely be ignored when thousands of government-linked Islamists begin meeting on Thursday, analysts say. The Islamic Movement, a social group at the heart of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP), is holding its first national conference since uprisings and civil war drove out authoritarian leaders around the region in 2011. While Islamists gained power through democratic elections in Egypt and Tunisia this year, a coup installed Sudan’s Islamist regime 23 years ago — and it is still there. Reformers charge that corruption and other problems have left the vast African nation’s government Islamic only in name and question how much longer President Omar Al-Bashir should remain in power. Potential candidates to replace Bashir are jostling for influence within the Islamic Movement, said Khalid Tigani, an analyst and chief editor of the weekly economic newspaper Elaff. “I think this is because we are approaching a change in power,” said Tigani, a former activist in the National Islamic Front party which engineered the 1989 coup. Tigani now calls himself an independent Islamist. The Islamic Movement is “one of the tools used by those who are in power to give themselves legitimacy among the Islamists, to continue controlling the government, the National Congress, in the name of Islam,” he said. Ali Osman Taha, a government vice president, has been the Islamic Movement’s secretary general for two terms and is not eligible to run again. Analysts say he is a possible successor to Bashir, who has announced he will step down as ruling party leader at an NCP congress late next year. “A lot of people are saying 23 years is too long a time, and what’s the difference between him and Mubarak and Assad?” said a Sudan analyst who asked for anonymity. He was referring to ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Syria’s beleaguered President Bashar al-Assad. Questions over Bashir’s future were reinforced when, according to official media, he had his second minor operation in less than four months last week after an infection to his vocal cords. He then appeared on television looking tired but healthy, and gave a typically fiery speech. Hassan al-Turabi, a key figure behind the 1989 coup, sees a rivalry between Bashir and Taha. “So both of them are competing” for control, along with others in the NCP, said Turabi, who believes Bashir wants to remain president to protect himself from arrest by the International Criminal Court. The Hague-based court has indicted Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed in Sudan’s far-western Darfur region, where a rebellion erupted in 2003. Turabi broke with Bashir in a power struggle about a decade after the coup and formed his Islamist opposition party, the Popular Congress. Dissatisfaction While only about 12 per cent of NCP members come from the Islamic Movement, most of the party leadership belongs to the movement, said Islamic Movement senior member Amin Hassan Omer. But “nothing specific” about succession will emerge from the conference, he predicted. “I don’t feel that there is a real power struggle in the Islamic Movement,” said Omer, a state minister in the presidency. But Mahjoub Mohamed Salih, publisher of the independent Al-Ayaam newspaper, said the conference would highlight a split between grassroots Islamists and NCP loyalists. Some Islamists are now saying openly to the NCP: “You are just using Islam as a rationalisation for things which are un-Islamic,” Salih said. Turabi, the founder of the breakaway Popular Congress, calls it a “corrupt dictatorship, cruel dictatorship”, which he does not want associated with Islam. State minister in the presidency Omer said he expects such comments from critics but that it is “nonsense” to suggest there is widespread dissatisfaction among younger Islamists over corruption. However, Sudan’s Islamic regime has been linked to “so many bad things,” leading to calls for reform from NCP youth and others, said self-described independent Islamist Tigani. “So I think to some extent (the) Arab uprising is reflected here in the hopes for change in Sudan,” he said. Such hopes will be dashed, Tigani and Salih predicted, while Omer admitted reformers would be disappointed, despite “a general sense of urgency for change” in the Islamic Movement, including the need for a younger leadership. http://www.africareview.com/Analysis/Reform-hopes-seen-dashed-at-Sudan-Islamist-meet/-/979190/1618840/-/gpvkriz/-/index.html END2 3. Turabi’s party to boycott Islamist conference November 11, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) led by veteran Islamist Hassan Al-Turabi has announced that it is not going to take part in the Islamic Movement (IM) conference due to be held next week, dismissing the event as mere cosmetics to serve the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). Speaking to reporters in the capital Khartoum on Sunday, the PCP’s secretary of justice and human rights, Hassan Abdella Al-Hussain, poured scorn on the IM General Conference of 2012, saying it’s nothing but an attempt by the NCP to beautify itself. He further claimed that the funds that went into organizing the conference came out of the state’s coffers, citing his allegation as evidence that the IM is a state-affiliated entity. The IM is the Islamist intellectual constituency whose political wing, the National Islamic Front (NIF), took power in the 1989 coup before rebranding itself as the NCP which later split after NIF leader Hassan Al-Turabi was ousted following a power struggle with President Omer Al-Bashir and other Islamists in 1999 and went to form the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP). Although the IM maintains its separate organizational structure and seeks to paint itself as a non-partisan group of Islamists who are distant from the NCP-PCP animosity, it has been effectively under the control of the NCP with Sudan’s Vice President Ali Osman Taha serving as its secretary-general. Some analysts argue that the IM was kept to exist as a parallel and broader political base to support the Islamist orientation of the NCP regime and rally Sufi and radical Islamist groups under its umbrella, while excluding the PCP. Al-Hussain said that the PCP rejected an invitation to participate in the conference which is due to be held on 16 and 17 November. He added that the NCP is feeling weak and trying through the IM conference to pump new blood into its veins. The PCP official however insisted that despite their refusal to participate in the conference, the PCP still considers itself as an important part of the IM even if the NCP is trying to hijack it. PCP leader Hassan Al-Turabi said, in an interview with Sudan Tribune last week, that the IM was nothing but an NCP-affiliated organization, adding that its members are united only by power and tribal links. Al-Turabi also revealed that his party intends to meet Islamist figures from outside the country to explain the PCP position on the conference and why they decided to boycott because they want to disassociate themselves from the “faces that tarnished the image of Islam” Meanwhile, the media secretary of the IM, Sana Hamad Al-Awad, has denied that state funds were used to finance the conference. She told Al-Sudani newspaper on Sunday that the amount of money spent on the conference was more than 10 million Sudanese pounds collected from contributions and membership fees. Al-Awad confirmed that the PCP informed them of its decision to boycott despite the invitation it received. She added that the conference aims to absorb the Islamists “who have been standing on the sidewalk” due to the 1999 schism or failings of the NCP. Al-Awad also acknowledged that there is a great deal discontent among NCP youth members. The 2012 IM conference is expected to discuss the secession of South Sudan last year as well as the rise of Islamists to power in the wake of popular revolts in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya in the “Arab Spring”. The conference is also expected to witness heated debates in light of growing criticism against the perceived corruption of the NCP government and its violations of human rights as manifested in the mass arrests of opposition activists in the Sudan Revolts campaign. There is also a great deal of discontent among Islamists, especially those who stepped away after the coup, against what they describe as the “undemocratic behaviour” of the NCP leadership as well as against the continued wars in the regions of South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur. The conference will create a new constitution for the movement and discuss proposed papers on the concept of an Islamic State, the impact of South Sudan secession, general guidelines for the country’s constitution and the economy. The event will also elect 400 members to the Shura Council. The IM’s secretary-general and Sudan’s first Vice-President Ali Osman Mohammed Taha will not be able to run as an incumbent because the current constitution does not allow more than two terms in the position. Taha was elected to the position during the last conference after facing strong competition with current presidential adviser Ghazi Salah Al-Din Al-Atabani. It is not clear whether Al-Atabani intends to run again but insiders say the man has recently stepped out of decision-making circles due to what they described as his unhappiness with the way the NCP has handled a number of sensitive issues lately. Separately, the official spokeswoman of the PCP, Iman Mohammed Hussain told reporters on Sunday that her party agreed to respond to the NCP’s challenge to the opposition to enter a public debate on the issue of Sharia laws and the Islamic state. She was referring to statements in which the NCP’s deputy chairman Nafe Ali Nafe challenged the opposition this week to hold a public debate with his party over the issue of Sharia laws, saying they have documents proving that the opposition coalition National Consensus Forces (NCF), which include the PCP, is opposed to Sharia laws and trying to create a secular state. “I wrote to the NCP’s media secretariat informing them of our readiness as an opposition and a party to enter a debate and we have a team ready for this task” Iman said. Al-Turabi said in his interview with Sudan Tribune that he is at odds with his NCF allies, which include the National Umma Party (NUP) and the Sudanese Communist Party, over the issue of Sharia and Islamic state. The PCP leader said he was still committed to creating an Islamic state while his allies call for a civil state. He however claimed that they agreed to defer their ideological disagreements and focus on achieving the common goal of regime change. PCP denies coup report The PCP’s secretary of justice and human rights, Hassan Abdulla, denied reports on Sunday that his party was involved in a failed coup attempt. Abdulla was responding to a report by a Sudanese website that the authorities foiled a coup attempt planned by PCP members in security forces and the army. The report alleged that the authorities carried out a number of arrests among army and security officers thought to be linked to the PCP. But the PCP official stressed that his party has long forfeited the game of military coups and will not seek to change the regime through the power of the gun. He added that the regime had failed but this is no justification to change it through violence because such move will make matters worse. The government repeatedly accuses the PCP of seeking to overthrow it by force through alliances with armed rebel groups but PCP officials deny the charge. (ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article44506 END3 4. Bashir aide challenges opposition to declare stance on Sharia laws November 10, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s presidential assistant, Nafe Ali Nafe, has claimed that the government is in possession of documents proving that opposition parties are against the implementation of Islamic Shaira laws and trying to create a secular state, challenging them to a public debate over the issue. Addressing a rally attended by leaders and members of Sufi sects in North Kordofan State on Saturday, Nafe declared that the opposition does not want Sharia and challenged its representatives to a public debate over the issue saying that the government will present the documents that prove the opposition’s rejection of Sharia. Nafe, who is also the deputy chairman of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), accused the opposition of masking its pursuit of a secular state through the use of vague names like the “civil state”. The NCP official demanded that opposition parties make their stance on the issue of Sharia clear. The issue of the relation between religion and the state has been a subject of much controversy and polarization in the domestic political arena since the NCP revealed its intention to create a new constitution to supersede the current transitional one which was installed in 2005 as per the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which culminated in the secession of predominantly-Christian South Sudan last year. Nafie’s remarks are directed at the coalition of mainstream opposition parties, the National Consensus Forces (NCF), which include the National Umma Party (NUP) led by Al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, the Islamist Popular Congress Party (PCP) of Hassan Al-Turabi and the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) among others. NCF allies say they are opposed to attempts by the NCP and radical Islamist groups to create a puritan version of an Islamic constitution citing the need to recognize diversity and existence of religious minority groups. They call instead for creating a “civil state” which, they argue, is different from a secular state. But there are divisions among NCF allies over this particular issue. PCP’s leader Hassan Al-Turabi confirmed the rift in an interview with Sudan Tribune last week, saying that some of their allies disagree with their pursuit of an Islamic state but all of them agreed to defer this disagreement in order to focus on their common denominator of regime change. Al-Turabi also said that they agreed to tackle this issue during the transitional period that would follow the fall of the regime. (ST) http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article44497 END4 5. Sudanese journalist tortured and subjected to racist abuse by NISS African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) (8 November 2012) The Government of Sudan must immediately investigate the arbitrary detention and torture of freelance Sudanese journalist Somia Ismail Ibrahim Hendusa, who was found abandoned and in extremely poor health on a Khartoum street on 2 November following her arrest by Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) officers on 29 October. Ms. Hendusa, a 34 year old freelance journalist, was arrested from a street in Khartoum Bahri nearby her family home at 10pm on 29 October. She was apprehended by seven NISS officers and taken to the NISS office in Khartoum Bahri. Ms. Hendusa was subjected to physical and psychological torture and reported that nine NISS officers were involved. She was forced to remove her abaya (Islamic dress), beaten with water pipes and burned on her back, shoulders and stomach with an iron. Ms. Hendusa was also subjected to racial abuse. The NISS officers shaved her head and told her that they did so because she appeared have “Arab” hair rather than “Darfuri” hair. She was also accused of being a prostitute and told that the Rizeigat are slaves. Four days later, on the morning of 2 November, Ms. Hendusa was released and abandoned in extremely poor health on a street in the Khour Al Sumra neighbourhood of Al Drushab district, Khartoum Bahri. Ms. Hendusa is a freelance journalist known for publishing political analysis for two online newspapers, Sudan Today and Al Rakouba. During her detention, she was accused of advocating against the Government of Sudan and interrogated about articles she had written which were critical of Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir. Ms. Hendusa had been living in Cairo, Egypt but was visiting family in Sudan for Eid Al-Adha at the time of her arrest. She reported that on 25 October, a few days prior to her arrest, she had received a phone call from the NISS welcoming her to Sudan. She received a second call on 27 October asking her to report to NISS offices in Khartoum Bahri, which she did not do. Ms. Hendusa also reported that a car had been following her in the days leading to her arrest. On 2 November, the day of her release, Ms. Hendusa sought medical treatment at Omdurman Hospital. However, the hospital refused to issue her the medical report form necessary to obtain treatment. She subsequently obtained a medical report from Khartoum Bahri Hospital which confirmed that she had burns on her body and that her head had been shaved. On the day of her release, Ms. Hendusa also attempted to lodge a criminal complaint at Al Safia Police station in Khartoum Bahri. She obtained the required approval from the prosecutor of Al Safia police station to lodge a criminal complaint, but after waiting six hours at the police station the attending officer refused to conduct an interview in the absence of a senior officer. She subsequently succeeded to file a criminal complaint the next day against nine NISS officers including a high ranking NISS officer named Babiker al Fadni and eight others whose names are not known. ACJPS calls on the Government of Sudan to uphold its domestic and international law obligations and immediately ensure an effective, independent and impartial investigation into the allegations of arbitrary detention, torture and racist abuse. Throughout 2012, ACJPS has documented a pattern of arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment of individuals publishing material critical of the Government of Sudan, including journalists, political activists and human rights defenders. ACJPS is concerned that there has been a rise in the incidence of arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and ill-treatment of women activists in recent months. Contact: Osman Hummaida, Executive Director, African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS). Phone: +44-7956-095738 (UK) Email: [email protected] http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article44466 END5 ______________________ John Ashworth Sudan, South Sudan Advisor [email protected] +254 725 926 297 (Kenya mobile) +211 919 695 362 (South Sudan mobile) +27 82 050 1235 (South Africa mobile) +44 750 304 1790 (UK/international) +88 216 4334 0735 (Thuraya satphone) PO Box 52002 - 00200, Nairobi, Kenya This is a personal e-mail address and the contents do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation -- -- The content of this message does not necessarily reflect John Ashworth's views. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, John Ashworth is not the author of the content and the source is always cited. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "sudan-john-ashworth" group. 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