Khartoum Protests Against Presence of Communist Leaders in South Sudan

President Salva Kiir addresses the nation from the State House on September 15, 2015, in Juba (Photo AFP/Charles Atiki Lomodong)

May 19, 2022 (JUBA)- President Salva Kiir ordered the release of the Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) leaders as the Sudanese embassy in Juba complained about their arrival to meet non-signatory groups.

The SCP Political Secretary returned to Khartoum on Thursday from Juba after meeting SLM leader Abdel Wahid al-Nur in Juba and travelling to SPLM-N held area in South Kordofan to meet Abdel Aziz al-Hilu.

After their return to Juba again from South Kordofan, they had been interrogated by the South Sudanese security services and confined in their Hotel.

A South Sudanese diplomat told the Sudan Tribune that the Sudanese embassy in Juba protested to the foreign minister about the meeting of the Communist delegation with Abdel Wahid Mohammed al-Nur in Juba and their travel to Kauda.

“The Sudanese representative brought up the visit to the attention of our minister and this is how I came to know of the presence of the Sudanese opposition,” said the official who preferred not to be identified.

The Sudanese ambassador “complained about the activities of the communist politicians who have refused to join the dialogue process in Sudan and preferred to talk to rebel armed groups who refused to join the Juba peace agreement,” he added.

He further revealed that the high-level intervention from president Salva Kiir led to the release of the Sudanese opposition.

Also, the intervention of President Kiir was confirmed by a senior official at the South Sudanese presidency.

“His Excellency the President of the Republic directed the leadership of the security and military intelligence who were following the Sudanese opposition politicians and held them for interrogation to let them go,” he official told Sudan Tribune.

The Sudanese army bans travelling from the government-controlled areas in South Kordofan to the rebel-held area, despite the unilateral cessation of hostilities by the two sides.

The Communist leaders travelled to Juba with the hope to bring the two armed groups to join them in a new political alliance to topple the military leaders who rule the country for nearly seven months.

The SCP withdrew from the coalition of the Forces for Freedom and Changes (FFC) after rejecting the constitutional declaration which established a partnership with the military component.

South Sudan mediates a process between the Sudanese government and the SPLM-N al-Hilu. But the process has been frozen after the coup.

Also, Darfur holdout leader, al-Nur, has been allowed to reside in Juba with the hope to persuade him to join the peace process.

(ST)