Sudan: Recent political initiatives of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Sudan

The following information is in addition to that contained in SDN37074.E of  6 July 2001 and SDN32210.E of 8 July 1999.

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, dated 6 August 2002, the Chairman of the United Kingdom and Ireland branch of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) stated that

despite all the media hype and claims by the government of the unlimited political freedom exercised by the parties inside Sudan, not much has changed since 1989 except a different tactic is now used by the regime for the benefit of the international community. These are calculated margins of freedom under the control of the regime apparatus that has the authority to demolish this margin at will or at anytime they see fit.

To give an example of the oppression suffered by our party members, Mr. Ali Elsayed [a] member of the NDA executive committee has been banned from travelling to Asmara to attend [the] NDA meeting convening this month. Another example is the confiscation of Mr. Elmirghani's land in the region of Berber in White Nile province two weeks ago.

An executive in the DUP, Ali Mahmoud Hassanain, stated in a 22 July 2002 article that the DUP believes that the peace agreement between the Sudanese government of the Sudan People's Liberation Party (SPLA) "cannot lead to a lasting peace" as it failed to involve other key factions in the dialogue (AFP). Hassanain further stated that the DUP believed that "groups must participate in a democratic dialogue for addressing the root causes of war" (AFP 22 July 2002). While he recognized that the agreement allowed for three constitutions – one based on Islamic law for the north, a secular one for the south and a federal constitution – Hassanain voiced a complaint over the fact that not all northerners wanted to be governed by Islamic law and that there was no mention of general elections being held during the six-year transition period leading up to a referendum in the south (ibid.). Hassanain further called for the participation of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the peace negotiations that were planned for August 2002 (ibid.).

The May 2002 edition of the Sudan Peace Anvil, a publication of the Sudan Peace Office at the Sudanese Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, reported that the DUP and the National Congress (NC) had announced their intention to "merge together to form a wide front movement for the unity, stability and success of the Sudanese people."

In an interview published in Al-Zaman, a London-based independent Iraqi daily, Hatim al-Sirr Ali, the official spokesman of the NDA, stated that even though the Ummah Party had withdrawn from the NDA, there remained "great coordination" between the DUP and the Ummah Party, as emphasized by the Cairo appeal agreement reached by the two parties in 2001 (8 Feb. 2002). Apparently, the agreement, which could later include other parties, stipulated coordination between Ummah and the DUP in efforts to establish a system of democracy in Sudan (Al-Zaman 8 Feb. 2002). Ali also stated that the DUP, whose leadership had returned without an agreement with the government, "continues to adhere to its position, which opposes the regime's polices," further stating that the party will no accept a "small margin of freedom," but only "complete freedom" (ibid.).

The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Dr. Mustafa Uthman, stated in an interview published in a 12 December 2001 Al-Dustur article that Ahmad al-Mirghani and Uthman al-Mirghani had returned to Sudan and that the DUP had been "reactivated."

As reported in an 18 November 2001 article, a statement distributed in Cairo by the DUP renewed the party's commitment to "political initiatives calling for a comprehensive settlement to the Sudanese problem" and emphasized the DUP's "keenness to find a comprehensive political solution to the Sudanese problem in an attempt to establish democracy and a just and comprehensive peace" (MENA).

An August 2001 article reported that at least ten members of the DUP had been arrested and detained for holding what was felt by security officials to be an illegal meeting (DPA 21 Aug. 2001). The officials alleged that the ten were developing a strategy to "alienate" the party's exiled leader, Mohammed Osman al-Mirghani, from DUP's activities (ibid.).

Reportedly, Muhammad Sirr al-Khatijm al-Mirghani, a leader of the DUP, met with the secretary-general of the ruling National Congress (NC) in order to discuss the role of the Khatmiya, a religious sect, and of the DUP in "activating reconciliation issues and the possibility of cooperation between DUP and NC to achieve peace and stability" (Sudan TV 24 Feb. 2001). Mirghani apparently stated that, in order to achieve "national accord," he would help mediations between the NC and the DUP (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 22 July 2002. Mohamed Ali Saeed. "Sudan Peace Blueprint Doomed to Fail, Opposition Parties Say." (NEXIS)

Al-Dustur [Amman, in Arabic]. 12 December 2001. Muhammad Khair al-Farah. "Sudan's Uthman on Sudanese-US Ties, Terrorism, Mideast Peace, Opposition." (FBIS-NES-2001-1212 12 Dec. 2001/WNC)

Al-Zaman [London, in Arabic]. 8 February 2002. Mustafa Amarah. "NDA Spokesman on US Role, Peace Initiatives, Recent Developments." (FBIS-NES-2002-0208 8 Feb. 2002/WNC)

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), United Kingdom and Ireland Branch, London.  6 August 2002. Correspondence from the Chairman.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA). 21 August 2001. "Opposition Politicians Arrested in Sudan." (NEXIS)

MENA [Cairo, in English]. 18 November 2001. "Sudanese Unionist Party Renews Adherence to Egyptian-Libyan Initiative." (FBIS-NES-2001-1118 18 Nov. 2001/WNC)

Sudan Peace Anvil. May 2002. No. 3/02. "Meeting Between El-Merghani and El-Mahdi." [Accessed 7 Aug. 2002]

Sudan TV [Omdurman, in Arabic]. 24 February 2001. "Ruling Party Official Receives Returning Opposition Party Member." (BBC Summary 26 Feb. 2001/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential

Africa Research Bulletin

IRB databases

NEXIS

Internet sites including:

Al-Ahram

AllAfrica.com

Amnesty International

BBC

CNN

Democratic Unionist Party Website, US

European Country of Origin Information Network

Freedom House

Human Rights Watch

Integrated Regional Information Networks

International Crisis Group, "Report on the Situation in Sudan"

Sudan Organisation Against Torture

US Committee for Refugees

Search engine:

Google