KHARTOUM
Sudan's opposition politicians on Sunday asked former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, to convince the country's rebels to participate in dialogue proposed in January by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.
During a meeting with Mbeki, also the chief mediator of the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel on Sudan, the Sudanese opposition politicians asked him to convince the rebels and political forces opposed to dialogue to change their mind.
"We made this request in the light of the role played by the African Union in resolving the Sudanese crisis," Kamal Omar, the secretary-general of the opposition Popular Congress Party, said in statements to the press following the meeting with the former South African president.
The Sudanese opposition makes its approval of the invitation of the Sudanese President conditional on abolishing laws that trim freedoms in their country, the formation of a transitional government, drafting a permanent constitution and holding fair and honest elections.
Sudan remains plagued by rift and conflict between the army and various rebel movements – especially in the country's restive southern and western regions – and a deteriorating economy.
What initially seemed to be a popular uprising against long-serving al-Bashir in some of the country's states last year was immediately and brutally quashed by the authorities.
In January, al-Bashir invited the nation's political forces to engage in national dialogue.
The invitation, however, ultimately led to greater political polarization with several opposition parties pulling out from the dialogue, citing what they described as the lack of seriousness.
By Nabil Selim
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
