Sudanese political and religious leader Sadiq al-Mahdi has called for consensus among rival parties before the African initiative reaches a dead end.
He also called for wisdom as Norwegian and British envoys exert efforts to bring the parties back to the negotiating table.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Mahdi rejected a call for nationwide mass demonstrations against the country’s ruling generals on June 30.
“Our opinion is to avoid escalatory measures from either side,” Mahdi noted.
He said any escalation prior to receiving the ruling military council’s response to a power transfer plan proposed by Ethiopia would be “premature.”
He welcomed the Ethiopian and the national initiatives, urging both parties to coordinate and prepare a joint work plan.
However, he condemned the wave of crimes that accompanied the sit-in near the army’s General Command, suggesting the formation of an independent commission to investigate the clampdown.
Mahdi also pressed parties to consider the nation’s interest a priority and follow a national approach that maintains the revolution’s goals and prevents sedition.
He slammed the current political division, saying it leads to the country’s destruction,.
He attributed the delay in reaching an agreement with the military council to the diverse viewpoints within the Alliance for Freedom and Change because it includes right, left and centrist parties.
“We recognize our lag in responding to the demands, but it is because out party is composed of different political forces,” he explained.
He also revealed receiving many initiatives to resolve the country’s crisis, but stressed that the national initiative is the best and comes in line with the African Ethiopian mediation.
Ethiopia’s proposal calls for forming a new 15-member civilian-majority governing body, which the protest leaders have accepted but the military council has so far dismissed.
“We accept the principle of mediation to get out of the crisis, and we don’t believe that escalation and counter-escalation will serve the nation’s interest,” Mahdi said.
He also warned against foreign interference in Sudan.
