Sudan's Al-Bashir escapes arrest attempt

A senior Sudanese politician, Dr. Al-Tayeb Mustafa, has claimed that the proposed summit between the presidents of Sudan and South Sudan is in fact a set-up to arrest Omar Al-Bashir, the leader of the government in Khartoum. Basing his claims on “reliable leaks”, the head of Sudan’s Menber El-Salam party said that the summit was “an ambush” to arrest President Al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges relating to the situation in Darfur.

According to Mustafa, the context for this incident was the creation of a political and constitutional crisis in Sudan to pave the way for external interference in its affairs.  The aim is to surround Egypt, now governed by Islamists, with secular movements which might influence Cairo’s return to its Islamic roots.

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Speaking exclusively to Quds Press, Dr. Mustafa played down the importance of the ongoing negotiations between the governments of Khartoum and Juba in Addis Ababa, saying: “I think that the talks in Addis Ababa have failed miserably and I do not expect any success for them because the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), which continues to insist that it is a popular movement to liberate Sudan even after the division of the country to create South Sudan, is still working on its old-new project to destroy Sudan’s Arab and Islamic identity.”

The Menber Al-Salam chief called the talks in Addis Ababa “a waste of time” by the SPLM and its American and Israeli allies. They want to see a Christian African state in place to challenge Sudan’s Arab and Islamic identity and the surrounding Muslim countries.

Mustafa criticised the ruling National Congress Party for continuing to negotiate with the SPLM in Addis Ababa, describing the Khartoum delegation as weak. “The problem is that the negotiators who represent Sudan do not understand the bigger picture, and do not want to understand, so they offer concessions after concessions, planting poisoned daggers in Sudan’s heart,” he said. “I do not want to accuse the National Congress of being a partner in the conspiracy against Sudan, but I say that those who negotiate for the SPLM are hawks, while the delegation from Khartoum consists of songbirds, not even doves.”

Expressing surprise that the National Congress practices what he calls the “policy of obedience to America”, Mustafa added, “Unfortunately, the government party adopts this obedience to please America, which has been supporting South Sudan and SPLM against the North. The National Congress has abandoned its values and it does not reflect the people of Sudan who are angry about what is going on in Addis Ababa.” He pointed out that US President Barack Obama had called South Sudan’s leader to ask him to maintain self-control, because the Americans were worried about the armed forces’ repulsion of the attack by the popular movement in the Heglig region.” That was enough for the cancellation of the proposed presidential summit at which, it is alleged, President Al-Bashir was to be arrested.