Unofficial Translation of the Text of the Statement Delivered by President Bashir on Saturday
10 October, 2015
KHARTOUM (SUDANOW) - President Omar al-Bashir, on Saturday, delivered a statement at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum, at the opening session of the National Dialogue Conference.
Hereunder is an unofficial translation of the text of the statement delivered by President Bashir:-
In the Name of Allah the Graceful, the Dispenser of Grace
Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Two Worlds. And Peace and Blessing be upon his Messenger, the Master of all created, beings, and the Last of the Messenger. And praise be to Allah who revealed in his Tight Book that we should "hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided." And who also stated in His Holy Book " and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart;"
And we praise the Almighty for bringing us together in this very place so that we will advise each other on Righteousness and piety and work according to what pleases Him.
Dear brothers and sisters, members of the National Dialogue Conference, dear brothers and sisters, honorable guests
Peace and blessing of Allah be upon you.
I thank you for accepting our invitation to attend the National Dialogue. The significance of your response represent the national spirit and responsibility that lead the politics in the Sudan.
Many people have almost been skeptical of reaching any accord that will bring together the people of the Sudan after such a division and such desertion. Confidence gap widened among the disputing parties, and the conflict procrastinated among the conflicting sides, to such an extent that the flame of hope was almost blown off, that the people of the Sudan would not come back to their deep rooted attitude of ignoring what divides them when difficulties show up and when need arises for closing the ranks in face of what threatens the unity of the homeland, its stability and the safety of its goodhearted and generous people.
As to those who did not show up yet, we have not and we are not closing the doors in their face. Whatever be the gap and no matter the differences in views and stands, our doors remain open and unlocked and our hands remain extended, for they remains the sons of the Sudan who we hope will not be written as isolated from their homeland and who will not opt for fighting at the expense of dialogue and negotiations.
Likewise we command those sons of the Sudan who have come to the dialogue and we are looking forwards to those who did not attend. We equally thank our brothers from the African union high level implementation panel, headed by his Excellency president Thabo Mbeki and thank him for his efforts and his good intensions towards the Sudan.
We thank our brothers from the Arab and Islamic worlds who exerted utmost efforts for achieving peace and reconciliation in the Sudan, top of whom the Arab League, and the Islamic Cooperation Organization.
We thank the state of Qatar and the state of Chad, for the efforts they exerted and continue to exert for cementing the pillars of peace in the Sudan.
We also thank the friends of the Sudan and its peace partners who supervised the peace process and worked for achieving national reconciliation in the Sudan. We are today, reaping some of the fruits of their blessed efforts, Allah willing. A protracted debate and discussions have been going on about our invitation for a dialogue that will unite the Sudanese national rank and by which the country gets ready for its forwards renaissance leap, in all directions and in all fields.
Most of the political forces have confidence in the call and others who use to mistrust anything the government does or doesn’t, did not have that confidence.
But we are today entering into the arena of free national dialogue in which the vast majority of the active political forces and the stakeholders within the society got engaged. And we praise Allah who guided us to this direction, and without the guidance of whom we wouldn’t be moving in that direction. He guided us to come to unite, to avoid disunity, to agree and to avoid disagreement and disputes.
And within discharging my responsibility at this historic juncture that put me at the helm of the leadership of this country and feeling the historic opportunity that availed us with this blessed chance for dialogue and accord and agreement, I would like to reaffirm that all agreements we reach during this all-inclusive national dialogue, will, Allah willing, be implemented with the will of Allah.
We are not gathered here for mere talk, rather we are meeting here for accord and we will never let this historic chance slip from the hands of our people.
As I address you with these opening remarks, about the six questions agreed upon in the roadmap for discussion, I appeal to all of your political parties and society organizations to do your level best for reaching agreed upon specifics that will make this dialogue genuine, sincere and productive and come up with agreed upon outcomes.
The aspirations and hopes of our people are hung upon the outcome of this dialogue a matter that needs honesty in saying and in deeds in all our intentions. A genuine leader shall never mislead his people. And it rest upon us to hold higher the national agenda above any other partisan or regional affiliations and above all other mundane self interests.
Our understanding of the dialogue is that it has come in response to the expectations of our people, expectations from all of us as government, political parties and society organizations that we should be up to par with comprehensive reform, without procrastination; that we should shoulder the responsibility of making the future of our dear homeland without delay. This is a responsibly all and every one of us should, in rights and in duties.
And to this end I hereby renew once again to those skeptic and to those who are still dragging their feet, to come all and join this table in response to the will and desire of the people of the Sudan.
We have come together here today to write down the future vision for the Sudan, through the deliberations on the issues of the conference.
These issues interlinked: discussion of peace would lead to fostering links among the Sudanese people in face of threats and challenges. Talking about the political system would lead to discussion of rights, freedoms and duties, while at the same time talking about the identity would be discussion of the diversity among the Sudanese people, their races, cultures and affiliations and colors: a diversity that brings people together, does not split them. This is a diversity that means integration not divergence, with which they will achieve National Unity and steadfastness in face of difficulties and plots. Talking about economy and the livelihood of the people, is to talk about what a political system should focus on. Talking about foreign relations shall mean discussing how our nation will get into contact with all people of the world, in a way that would safeguard our sovereignty, protect our interest and reinforce our role at all international fora.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I will cease this opportunity to repeat once again our genuine desire and our real keenness to work continuously for provision of a climate conducive for the success of this dialogue: we have issued two presidential decrees on ceasefire and cessation of hostilities which have now been implemented on the ground.
And we are now declaring our intention, if the other side shows sincere commitment on the cessation of hostilities, to extend this cessation of hostility.
And rather, to make this cessation of hostilities into a permanent ceasefire, if the others opted for peace and return to the arena of the homeland as negotiators and partners in making better future for the Sudan and for its people.
We also renews our directives for the competent authorities in the states and the localities at the various regions of the Sudan, to enable the political parties and civil society organizations to exercise their peaceful political activities that will ultimately enrich this dialogue and would not be at its expense, this shall be without any intervention or any restrictions on their activities.
We also direct all media organs and forums to work for reinforcement of the freedom of expression in a way that will enable the people to contribute effectively in the success of the national dialogue: no restrictions imposed save that which these organs and forum abide by, such as their ethics of their professions, the stipulations of the laws and the lofty and noble Sudanese values.
We also would like to bring to the attention and remind that we have given directives for the release of any political detainee who is not implicated in a criminal charge, private or public.
In fact this has been carried out, save for those who have committed a crime punishable by law, and in this case the justice and the justice institutions shall implement the law, which supersedes any other authority, and is above all.
We also reaffirmed our readiness and commitment to enable the armed rebel movements, carrying arms, to be able to participate in this comprehensive dialogue, whenever they decide to join the process. And we pledge to provide the suitable and sufficient guarantees for their participation and their departure whenever they decide to leave.
And in your name let me greet our brothers from among those carrying arms, brother Abul Gasim Imam chairman of the Sudan liberation Movement (second revolution), brother al Tahir Hajar, chairman of the liberation and justice movement, brother Muhamadain Ismail Abdullah Bashar from the Sudan liberation Movement. We thank them for responding to the invitation and for participation in the dialogue.
Dear brothers and sisters,
This conference is all yours, your creation; it is you who have brought it to this stage, through the efforts of the 7+7 mechanism and through the efforts of the Secretariat General and through the efforts of the societal dialogue committees. And it will be you who shall lead it to its desired objectives, Allah willing, without the intervention of any official, partisan or government quarters.
Your sole guide will be what the arrangements upon which you have agreed within your roadmap and the ensuing regulations and rules that you have approved.
We do not intend to intervene in any form, even if such an opportunity is provided, because we intend to see a genuine accord, not a makeup or faked one.
For, the genuine accord is the only thing that shows the unity of the stand and position and it is the only thing that will form a guarantee for the success of this conference.
This is because the outcomes of this dialogue is the springboard from which we shall take off for founding a constitutional and political system that will part with the past divisions and splits and will head forwards to a brighter and blossoming future for this homeland, a homeland that deserve progress, and prominence among the nations of the world.
Pray to Allah to lead our step for achieving all this and it is to Him that we aspire, and it is according to Him that things happened, praise be to Him first and foremost.
And peace and blessing of Allah be upon you all.
MO/ As
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