President Bashir calls for the opening up of the training camps of the PDF

17 November 2007 (ST)

President Omer Al-Bashir has called for the opening of the camps of the Poplar Defense Forces (PDF) for the training of Mujahdine as he put it for the preparations of the next phase.

Celebrating the 18th anniversary of the Popular Defense Forces, Al-Bashir reiterates the position of the National Congress Party in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

He said that the US and Europe are not faithful in achieving peace in Sudan describing them as hypocrites.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) describes the call of President Bashir as disavowing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The SPLM says that this is a clear indication of war.

Speaking to Miraya FM exclusively, the secretary general of the SPLM, Pagan Amum, said such a step demonstrates the unwillingness of the National Congress Party in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Mr. Amum affirms that there is no reverting to square one of war but only on self defense.

"The talks about opening the camps for the Jihadists and the resumption of Jihad show a step backward from the language of peace, or may be the that talk about peace was just a maneuver and insincerity," said Mr. Amum.

Amum adde that "this is a serious indication of what might happen in Sudan".

"Neither the SPLM nor the SPLA intend to be involved in war and it that happens we will just be defending ourselves," said Amum. 

Wider ractions

The deputy chairman of the National Umma Party, Fada-llah Burma, told Miraya FM that such calls by Bashir arises questions of what are the status of the PDF in the NAtional Interim Constitution. 

"The question which poses itself is that what is the position of the PDF in the Constitution and the law?" Burma said.

He said that the Constitution is the only body which determines the responsibilities and the tasks of the organized forces.

"Is the PDF stipulated in the CPA or the Constitution," Burma asserted.

He said that Sudan is being governed by the Naivasha Agreement and the National Interim Constitution.

The editor-in-cheif of the Khartoum Monitor Newspaper, Alfred Taban, told Miraya FM that the opening of the camps for the PDF is a clear violation of the CPA.

"This is the violation of the CPA what the President said," said Mr. Taban.

He added, "because the CPA says all forces which are not members of the Sudan Armed Forces or the SPLA should be dispended-the Popular Defense Forces is not dispended, this is a violation of the CPA".

He said with the President saying that the PDF should open more camps and should armed themselves "this is even a serious violation of the CPA".

"So what the President said was completely irresponsible and it shows that he and his government are not interested in the CPA, they just want to kill it," he concluded.

The Nuba Mountains Homepage was made by Nanne op 't Ende.
You can contact me here.