The session has started. Join us with your questions.
Answer
-
Name
Aziz
-
Profession
Question
Salam... I'm somewhat confused... what understanding can be reached between an Islamic party and a Christian/Animist separatist movement? What common ground does your party share with the SPLM?
Answer
Sudan is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-language country—this situation hasn’t actually been chosen by the Sudanese people; it is a geographic and historic reality, and we as an Islamic movement have to work in light of these facts and to deal with the realities of our country. But fortunately, the first state established by Prophet Mohamed himself (peace and blessing be upon him) in Medina was also multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic, and from what the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet, and from how it arranged the internal and international relations of this state, we find some guidance as to how to deal with such realities.
So in Sudan in particular, the Islamic movement suggested regional autonomy for the South, for the first time—after what we call the October Revolution—in a round-table conference that took place in 1965, and was devoted to the problems of the south of Sudan, where we have those realities which I mentioned earlier.
There is a group of different people. They have their own culture, religions and languages, and they raised arms against the national government because they think there in injustice in the distribution of power and wealth. The Islamic movement suggested regional autonomy for the south, and unfortunately, the resolutions of that conference didn’t find their way to be implemented on the ground in Sudan. It’s only after 1972 that the south of Sudan enjoyed 10 years of stable and peaceful life, and that's because of the Addis Ababa agreement. But unfortunately ex-president Namiri dishonored this agreement and we found ourselves again, in 1983, facing a new rebellious movement with a new agenda of liberating the whole Sudan—so as to achieve justice in the marginalized areas of Sudan—and with a new strong will and means to fight.
So if the question was meant to address the basis of understanding between the Popular Congress and SPLA, I can't say it is an Islamic contribution in the political arena on how to deal with such problems in politics guided by Islam. I advise the questioner to refer to what we call the Sudan Charter, issued in 1987 by the National Islamic Front to deal with the multi-cultural realities and the question of distribution of wealth and power in a vast country like Sudan.
Name
Selma
- France
Profession
Question
Is there any common ground between President Bashir and Dr. Al Turabi anymore? What role does Dr. Al Turabi currently play in Sudanese politics?
Answer
The conflict between Dr. Al-Turabi and President Bashir is about real issues—not about power. It is actually about democracy and Shura (mutual consultation), the commitment to the national constitution, and a federal system. President Bashir and his group want to acquire power without freedom and democracy for the people, and without delegation of power and wealth. Moreover, this regime was very famous for not honoring its agreements and commitments—especially in the context I mentioned earlier when the Khartoum agreement, which was signed by the Bashir regime and the Southern factions of the rebellion in 1997, was dishonored shortly after that. So if we speak about a common ground between Bashir and Turabi, this regime must show seriousness and commitment to its constitution, especially that we are facing a new era with signing the peace agreement by the end of next month. Concerning the situation and the role of Dr. Turabi now, he is still in prison in an isolated cell, prevented from any contact with anybody, and even from writing or following the current affairs through any medium—TV, radio, magazines, or papers. But he and his party, as leaders of the Islamic movement in Sudan, are still committed to their principles.
Name
Will
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
What are the terms of the peace? Will we see two states where there was once Sudan? Or is there merely going to be increased autonomy for the South? Please share some details with us.
Answer
As the protocols of Nafasha, which contain the detailed agendas of the peace agreement, are now available only in English in several Sudanese Web sites, and for the Arabic media, you can find ten articles written by Dr. Mansour Khaled in last July for Al-Rai Al-Am newspaper, which give an explanation of the complicated items and paragraphs in the protocols.
But in a nutshell, I can say that this agreement gives the south of Sudan some sort of an independent government, and creates for the first time a parliamentary system with two chambers for legislation. And as I said in the previous answer, this will create a new reality for Sudan, which faces the political elites with new serious challenges concerning the unity of Sudan.
Name
Arnar Valsdottir
-
Profession
Question
We see very little in the media about what is happening in Sudan... can you explain what the situation is now and what your party's role in it all is?
Answer
Actually, the international media is full of bad news from Sudan—especially in the last six months—concentrated on the situation in Darfur. As for the actual situation in Sudan after the session held by the UN Security Council in Nairobi on the 18th of this month, there is a commitment from the Sudanese government and the SPLM, the movement of Dr. John Garang, to reach a final agreement for peace before the end of this year, and there are six protocols on the distribution of power and wealth. They were signed in Kenya, and they might change the realities in the country for the first time since its independence.
Name
Abu Ismail
-
Profession
Question
What is the perspective of the party you represent on Darfur? Is it really all a lie? Or is there widescale killing and raping happening there?
Answer
Actually, there is a very sad and serious situation in Darfur. The atrocities have been finally discovered by the world, after killings, rape, and bombing of civilians by the government and the Janjaweed militias have been ongoing for some time. The results now, as estimated by many international organizations and independent watchdogs, are the death of about 70,000 people and the displacement of 2 millions and a half.
Until this moment, as it has been reported daily, both sides (the government and the rebellions) violate the cease-fire. The people of Darfur are paying the price in terms of suffering and lack of security.
Name
Nasir
- Somalia
Profession
Question
Assalamu Aleikum.
I got two question:
1: Has the probability of many groups claiming autonomy increased by the government peace initiative with SPLA?
2: Is the Sudanese government losing the public relations in the Dafur crisis - for example, the Western media is portraying the issue as a blacks-vs.-Arabs war.
Answer
Concerning the first question, the answer is yes, because the government didn't give the chance for all the Sudanese factions to sit together so as to find one solution for the whole crisis. On the contrary, the government has chosen to divide the different elements of the crisis and to deal with them separately, and this has complicated things, especially after the agreement between the government and the south; actually this has encouraged the rest of Sudan to carry arms so as to attain their rights.
Unfortunately, the government is not concerned about its reputation and the image of Islam and the Arabs in Sudan and the international media. It is not a question of public relations, but a real problem of distributing wealth and power in a big country like Sudan.
Name
safa
- Pakistan
Profession
Question
Asalamualaikum,
How does a woman protect herself in these days?
Answer
Women in Sudan as described by the Sudanese leaders as marginalized, and they suffer a lot actually from what is going on in Darfur. The women of this area, throughout history, have played an essential role in protecting and contributing to their families and society in both the economic and social spheres. Actually they need to be helped, especially by the Islamic and Arab NGOs, which might understand the special circumstances of the women in the traditional Islamic society.
Name
Brahim
- France
Profession
Question
Do you really think this peace will hold? How is this initiative different from all the other attempts that sought peace through the past two decades?
Answer
As far as the Naivasha Protocol is concerned, there is actually—for the first time in the history of Sudan since its independence—an attempt to just distribution of power and wealth, which gives the different areas of Sudan their shares in those two issues, but to honor this agreement and to avoid what happened in the last two decades in the cities of Sudan, this agreement must apply in the spheres of freedom, democracy, human rights, transparency and good governance, which also got a real concession from those who used to acquire power and wealth and confine them to the center of Sudan.
