Sudanese Minister Accuses Bashir’s Regime of ‘Fueling Tribal Conflicts’

A procession for the Hausa tribe in Kordofan to protest the events of the Blue Nile, July 19 (AFP)
A procession for the Hausa tribe in Kordofan to protest the events of the Blue Nile, July 19 (AFP)
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Sudanese Minister Accuses Bashir’s Regime of ‘Fueling Tribal Conflicts’

A procession for the Hausa tribe in Kordofan to protest the events of the Blue Nile, July 19 (AFP)
A procession for the Hausa tribe in Kordofan to protest the events of the Blue Nile, July 19 (AFP)

The Minister of Federal Government in Sudan, Buthaina Dinar, accused the regime of ousted president Omar al-Bashir of fueling bloody conflicts between civil societies in the country’s states.

In a Sunday press conference in Khartoum, Dinar said that the government and security services should conduct a transparent investigation into all statements of “known personalities who contributed to fueling the conflict in the Blue Nile and hold them legally accountable.”

She pointed out that none of those involved in the bloody events in the region were arrested, which left dozens dead and wounded and thousands of displaced people.

Dinar belongs to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led by Malik Agar, a member of the Sovereignty Council.

Blue Nile parties had accused the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement of involvement in the bloody tribal conflicts in the region.

Dinar said that there will be no stability in the states of Darfur, East and Blue Nile, unless the “Juba Peace Agreement” is implemented.

Other conditions to stability include disarming militias and integrating armed movements into Sudan’s armed forces, said Dinar.

The minister also called for the formation of commissions, including a commission on land ownership.

In other news, a new political alliance “Forces for Radical Change (FRC)” led by the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) and comprising several civil and trade union groups was announced in Khartoum on Sunday.

The FRC includes a number of labor movements and civil society groups such as the Sudanese Professionals Association, the Union of Farmers in Al-Jazirah and Managuel, and the Sudanese Women’s Union.

The goals of the new umbrella aimed at bringing down the coup and achieving a radical revolutionary change, said SCP Political Secretary Mohamed Mokhtar al-Khatib.



After Debate, Iraqi Armed Factions Refuse to Disband

Members of the al-Nujaba movement during a military parade. (Al-Nujaba)
Members of the al-Nujaba movement during a military parade. (Al-Nujaba)
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After Debate, Iraqi Armed Factions Refuse to Disband

Members of the al-Nujaba movement during a military parade. (Al-Nujaba)
Members of the al-Nujaba movement during a military parade. (Al-Nujaba)

Undersecretary of the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hisham al-Alawi stressed on Sunday that the dismantling and disarmament of armed factions was an internal Iraqi affair.

He added: “Iraq is interested in amicably resolving problems with regional countries. Regional stability is necessary for development.”

On the factions, he said it was necessary to make a distinction between the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and other factions that are not aligned to it.

The PMF, he explained, is an integral part of Iraq’s security and military institutions.

“Neutralizing the factions that operate outside the state is an Iraqi affair. Iraq is concerned with neutralizing them when it comes to their external actions,” he remarked.

He made his remarks days after Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told Asharq Al-Awsat that the possession of weapons outside the control of the state was “unacceptable”.

He said the government was “trying to convince the armed factions” to lay down their arms. This has cast doubt in the country over its actual ability to handle the issue given the persistent internal disputes, especially between Shiite forces.

Meanwhile, the Al-Nujaba and Saraya Awliya al-Dam factions announced that they were suspending their operations against Israel as the ceasefire in Gaza took effect.

However, al-Nujaba politburo head Ali al-Assadi said the “weapons of the resistance were legitimate” and that his movement has not been asked to lay down its arms.

This marks the first statement in over two months over the possession of weapons by a faction of the “Resistance Axis” that is allied with Iran.

Al-Assadi said on Saturday that the “Iraqi resistance is ready to support the military operations should Israel resume its attacks on Gaza.”

This means that all the statements and debates about the weapons have been effectively dismissed by the factions.

The government has not called on the al-Nujaba to lay down its weapons or to disband, al-Assadi continued.

“The foreign minister’s comments about the issue are unrealistic and all politicians know that were it not for the resistance, they wouldn’t be in their positions,” he stressed.

On Higher Shiite Authority Ali al-Sistani's statements two months ago on the need to limit the possession of arms to the state, al-Assadi said: “He was not referring to the resistance factions.”

He added, however, that the factions “are ready to lay down their arms if Sistani directly and openly says so.”