The leaders of the Sudanese opposition umbrella organisation known as the National Consensus Forces (NCF) have taken a step further in their effort to challenge President Omar Al-Bashir's 30-year hold on power. On Monday 11 November, the NCF held a news conference in Khartoum in which it announced the formation of a “Higher Committee” for coordination with the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) and other armed movements in the country. Earlier, the NCF endorsed in principle a document that was presented by the SRF in a bid to unify the political, military and civil opposition to the ruling National Congress Party (NCP). On 5 January 2013, members of the opposition political forces and the armed movements signed a document titled the New Dawn Charter in Uganda. In this document, political leaders and military commanders opposed to the regime pledged to join forces in an effort to oust the regime and reform the country's political system. The New Dawn Charter calls for rebuilding the army, establishing an independent judiciary, promoting press and academic freedom and ensuring equality among all citizens. The charter outlines the future of a democratic Sudan, offering a draft of an interim constitution and delineating the framework of a future government. The charter pledges to involve all Sudanese in the process of change and enhancing the participation of civil forces, youths, women and reputable public figures. The charter signatories called for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Darfur, Kordofan and the Blue Nile. They promised to disband and disarm various militia organisations, and to put on trial all those who committed crimes against the Sudanese people. The NCF includes about 20 Sudanese parties as well as youth movements and civil society organisations. In July, NCF leaders signed the Democratic Alternative Charter (DAC), which offers a roadmap for reform in Sudan, following the ouster of the regime. The National Umma Party (NUP), led by Sadiq Al-Mahdi, called on the opposition to keep pressuring the ruling NCP to stand down. The NCF is now in the process of merging its civilian and political opposition with the armed groups, especially those of the SRF. If successful, this alliance may pose an unprecedented challenge to Al-Bashir's NCP, whose recent austerity measures brought thousands to the streets in a wave of protests reminiscent of those of the Arab Spring. The expanded alliance amongst civilian and armed groups includes 20 political parties as well as four movements that are fighting the government in Darfur, South Kordofan and the Blue Nile. Speaking at a news conference in Khartoum last week, NCF leader Farouk Abu Eissa, said that party leaders have agreed on the ideas presented to them by the SRF in September 2013, with a view to unifying the opposition. Abu Eissa reacted angrily to the government's accusations that the NCF's cooperation with the SRF was a “racist alliance”. Khartoum had accused the SRF and the signatories of the DAC of acting to further narrow tribal interests. NCF spokesman Kamal Omar said that the government's claims that the opposition is too weak to pose a serious challenge to the NCP were unfounded. The government is afraid of the opposition, and this is why it keeps sending its security forces to disrupt its gatherings, he stated. Omar said that the meeting of the party leaders last week was one of the most successful meetings of the Sudanese opposition. The meeting, Omar indicated, involved discussion of a working paper aiming to accelerate the regime's downfall and replace it with an interim government. According to Omar, the NCF leaders adopted the programmes of the armed movements, including the SRF, which are intent on bringing the regime down by all means, including force. Presidential aide Nafie Ali Nafie launched a vitriolic attack on the NCF, calling its current liaison a “diabolic alliance”. Reacting to the accusation, Abu Eissa said the NCF has a humanitarian and moral duty to rid Sudan from Al-Bashir's corrupt government. The NCF, he added, is committed to establishing democracy and justice throughout the country. If the alliance between the political opposition and the armed groups proves a success, this may spell the end of the current regime. But there are already chinks in the armour of the opposition. For example, Al-Mahdi's NUP seems to have second thoughts about the alliance between the political and armed opposition. The NUP, which is the largest political party in the country, may end up walking out of the NCF because of differences over whether the regime should be overthrown by political or military means. If this happens, the NCF's credibility may suffer. Still, the current trend is ominous for Al-Bashir's regime. The parties and movements that are now joining forces not only have credible public appeal. They have guns and foreign connections with which they can harass the government, already reeling from weeks of public unrest. The government's recent attempt to introduce austerity measures has backfired, which leaves it with few options. Either allow the subsidies to persist and suffer what may eventually turn to an economic free fall, or put its foot down and face escalating protests. Already, the dilemma is taking its toll on the regime. Recently, 10 top-level government officials turned against it, demanding economic and political reforms. If this group, led by Ghazi Salaheddin, decides to join the expanding alliance of opposition groups, Al-Bashir's future would become bleaker than ever.
