Sudan’s Reform Now Movement withdraws from government

The Sudanese Reform Now Movement (Islah) announced yesterday that it is withdrawing from government and pulling its representatives from all legislative councils.

Party leader Ghazi Salahuddin Atabani demanded the Sudanese armed forces side with the people, local media reported.

The move comes amid mounting pressure on Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir who formed a fact-finding committee to investigate violence during recent anti-government protests.

Only a few hours earlier, 22 Sudanese parties, a majority of them members in the government, signed a memorandum calling on Al-Bashir to dissolve the government and the parliament.

At least 19 people have been killed in protests that erupted in cities across Sudan, including the capital Khartoum, on 19 December. The protests erupted after a government decision to increase the price of bread. However, human rights group Amnesty International has put the death toll at 37.

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