This article was written as a last comment and conclusions on the on the symposium organized by Darb al Intifada on Women Participation in NDA , and it discusses the views of D.Mutasim al Agraa on the New Sudan Forces ..All documents of this symposium will be available on the site Sudanese Women & Politics soon ,the main parts can be found on New Sudan Discussing List Archive and on my Discussion Board .

NDA , Women Emancipation and the New Sudan Forces  

Last Comments and Conclusions
by : Adil Abdel Aati

Dear Symposium Coordinator

I would like , once again , to give my comments about the last contributions and comments published lastly in the symposium .it was of great pleasure for me that my article and comments brought my friend Mutasim Al agraa to the discussion .I take the opportunity again to salute him , Ustaza Magdoleen Abdel Halim , D.Nahid Tobia and others for their useful and valuable contributions ..I appreciate specially Mutisms comments,  since I believe that the most  we need is a critical thinking about Sudan ..The critics can not of course be limited to the Old Sudan and its forces ,,The New Forces should have its own ,,and the New Sudan forces should be open and sensitive to all kinds of constructed critics , if they don't want to share the destiny of the old Sudan forces ..I have tried myself to touch some of the weakness of structures and programs of the new Sudan forces in many occasions , but I find it difficult to agree with most of Mutasim's and Magdoleen arguments..

in these  last comments of mine - since I believe that there are many  other talented women and men who can enrich  the discussion with new ideas and opinions -I will summarize my opinions and try to comments shortly Mutasim and Magdoleen opinions ,I hope  that the discussion will continue in this and other platforms, because the road to women emancipation , to reform Sudanese political life , and to build the New Sudan is too long , and we are still in its begging ..

1-The trouble of the NDA and what  alternative for it:

In my contribution , I gave a picture of the NDA problems and how we can reform it , I saw the origins of the problem in :

-the weak and instrumental attitude to democracy in  its parties and leadership  .

-the conflict of visions ,programs and interests between its 2 wings (the traditional parties and the New Sudan Forces)

-the lack of trust between all its members.

-the internal differences about its tactics and strategy .

These problems resulted in the weakness and parleys of the NDA , and after 9 years the NDA has  failed to realize its  main objectives :to organize and lead the masses inside Sudan , to gain support of Sudanese Diaspora ,and to establish an alternative for  the NIF regime ..In fact , NDA has failed to be the leader and to meet the  inspiration of the Sudanese Nation.

Neither Mutasim  nor  Magdoleen did discuss these arguments ,Furthermore , Mutasim believe that the NDA is the best hope for the Sudanese people ..I don't  agree with him , as I don't agree with the statements that NDA has gained the support of the majority of Sudanese people , as it is written in SCP statement dated 8-11-1998..For all that I called for NDA reformation ,and I suggested many measures to do that ..otherwise ,I called  for building a new alternative for it , grouping these forces which have similar programs, new ideas and leadership ,and which are  willing to represent women , youth and civil society organizations plus all independent groups and individuals , in one word ,I call  for building the unity of the wide spectrum   of the  New Sudan Forces.

Mutasim wrote that NDA can not accept every  one ,as example the" "Progressive Galiien".. and that was the main pretext that  HAAQ , SPLM/A united , women organizations  membership were rejected ..because there SHOULD BE  a membership regulations ..Well , but the NDA have never declared , published or discussed such  regulations ..and all its decisions in this matter   were taken in secret ,in authoritarian way and  without  arguments ..For me the only one regulation for individual and groups to join the NDA -if it is really the wide front and popular parliament of the Sudanese Nation -is their willingness to fight the dictatorship ..it is a fact that the NDA has become an  exclusive  closed club in which the main players are thinking about nothing but about seats and their partisan and sectarian interests ,and Mutasim seems to see this very well .

Magdollen wrote that I  suggested not to ally with the conservative parties , specially the UMMA , UDP, and SCP. ..Indeed I have never mentioned the SCP as an Old Sudan force .I believe that it is conservative , and I don't think it is leftist any more ..but I know that all inspirations about social change , class and regions equality ,women and youth rights , came once from its platform . I believe that the vast majority of its members and supporters dream about a new vision and a new Sudan ..It depends only on SCP to decide where to go , to ally itself  with the New Forces , of whom  the majority were somehow inspired by SCP visions and resolutions , or to put their hands with the  Old Sudan forces ,the UMMA and DUP , as the SCP   leadership is doing for the last 15 years.

The same is about SPLM/A. Mutasim wrote that I am so eager to drag the   SPLM to create or join a new coalition outside the NDA ..and he is right , I am so eager for that ..I base My wishes on the similarity of programs , interests and tactics of SPLM /A and  other New Sudan forces ..and it belongs to SPLM/A to decide , if they can realize their aims and programs in collaboration  with the traditional parties -which have built  and ruled the Old Sudan - or in a unity with their natural allies in the North and other parts of Sudan , who are fighting for the same aims like   SPLM/A.(Wa  ma ala alrasoul illa albalag-the prophet has  nothing more than to declare  his mission)

Magdoleen wrote :

{{The bottom line is that we need to learn how to value and accept our differences to achieve our common goals. History has taught us that the multiparty system (including UMMA and DUP), is the only way for Sudan to advance and progress. We have to be democratic in our practices before we can establish a solid democratic system in Sudan}}

I do agree totally with Magdoleen on that  , but I have to clear some misunderstanding in this field ..Many people(under the influence of SCP and NDA propaganda ) think that when we call for the unity of the New Forces ,we call for the political and even physical  liquidation of the traditional parties ..Nothing can be more far from the facts than that ..and nothing can be biggest  manipulation than that ..Since we all believe in the democratic system and democratic mechanisms , we know that the Umma , UDP , and even the Islamists have their place in the Sudanese political scene ..they are parties with members  and supporters , and nobody deny them the right to fight or not to fight the regime now   and to exist and defend their visions and interests  in the democratic system in the future  ..BUT why I should ally with them , and make THEIR leaders my leaders ,share their mistakes ,and take responsibility for their deeds ,, while  we have different interests , visions and tactics about Sudan ?..Let them work on their own and for their own , and let us work on our own , and let the Sudanese nation decide -now and in the future -about which visions , programs , leadership , tactics are better for the country. I think this is the real spirit of democracy and honest ,twords ourselves and the nation , to show the differences and different programs . I believe that  without cutting this umbilical cord with the Old Sudan guards , our people will have no alternative between the military dictatorships and the rule of the (al Sada)masters .

Under such manipulations : that the ones who  distant themselves from the Old Sudan forces , are against democracy , Many individuals and groups were accused ..and when Fatima Ahmed Ibrahim criticized some NDA leaders , and gave her visions about the best future government for the  Sudan (including SPLM,SCP and trade unions in her view), they accused her of calling for totalitarian regime  ..This is just   shameful.

Mutasim wrote that those who are criticizing the NDA -in fact they criticize the Old Sudan forces inside the NDA-are looking for some seats or benefits in the post -NIF Sudan , and Magdoleen accused them of being intellectuals sitting in their ivory towers waiting for others to do the hard work for them !!.I think those who look for seats and benefits will rather defend the old Sudan with all its relations of exploration, corruption and dark interests ..also  I don't consider my self as an intellectual , knowing the bad reputation of intellectuals in the communist phraseology , but I think   we should be  more   careful in using such arguments when we are discussing such an important debate ,, any way  I will whisper  to Mutasim that such people like him with real  critical mind will never have a voice in the current structure of the NDA.

2 -The HAAQ, SAF and the New Sudan Forces:-

For some observers it could be difficult to understand , why people regarded as progressive ,,are  criticizing strongly the new Sudan forces, at the same time calling and working for a permanent alliance with the conservative and rightist forces ..but for me that is an additional sign that the so called Sudanese Left (SCP and people influenced by it )has gone so far in their reformist road and forgot about their old slogans about revolution and social change and so on .

Mutasim has done a" good job" for some ," analyzing" the New Sudan forces , my self I think every critical opinions are good in the Sudanese ocean of self -satisfaction , but I  think that some of the critics were not objective ..I am not going to defend the New Sudan forces , but I let my self to comment some of Mutasinm controversial arguments .

Muasim critiqued HAAQ for its failure to build a new party , but it is so early to talk about the death of HAAQ.. I think the most advantages of HAAQ experience that they gave a new platform for building a leftist party and giving theoretical measures for facing and fighting the regime in  a total strategy ..HAAG has failed to put this in practice ..That is true ,but they are doing some pretty work inside Sudan , and with their intellectual potential I think HAAQ has a lot of chances to do a good job in Sudanese politics .

From other side , Mutasim is criticizing HAAQ for the lack of a clear activity ,but which Sudanese party-within the Old Sudan forces- is really active ,except some empty noise of their sectarian leaders in exile?

After HAAQ  Mutasim gave the most of his critics to SAF , perhaps because it really broke the monopoly of the Old Sudan forces in the North ..and   Mutasim will not be the first or the last to do this "good job" , but why he should join in this the long column of the Old Sudan figures and guards?

Mutasim accused SAF of lack of originality ,because SNA/SAF sounds   like SPLM/A, and the termini ALLIANCE came from leftist heritage , New Sudan from SPLM literature , and so on and so on ..

If the name is a  sign of lack of originality , so no party in Sudan is original , because SPLM is similar to MPLA (Movement Pupular de la librasion de la Angola -in English :Angola People Liberation  Movement ) ,the Umma Party takes its name from the Egyptian Umma Party which was active in the thirteen's -and still exists , the SCP was one of 68 Communist parties which differs only by adding their country name -Vietnamese , Mexican  ,Swedish -to the Communist Party phrase ..it seems the only original name has the DUP , but what does Unionist means ? nobody knows ,especially   after the party forgot about the Nile Valley Union some decades ago .

The word Alliance in Sudan came has a  leftist heritage ,That is true . but it was not created by SCP , and there was many alliances in Sudan before SCP appeared , the Fungs and the Abdulabs had an alliance , and 1924 revolt was an alliance between the popular masses and the military vanguard ..Alliance in SNA/SAF case means alliance between the oppressed and marginalised people in Sudan ,between patriotic civilians and national  military elements ,and I think that is enough to take the phrase Alliance in SNA/SAF name.

The termini New Sudan appeared first in SPLM literature , but it was adopted by many Sudanese and non-Sudanese individuals and groups  , as a synonym of the program of radical change in Sudan's plitical and social structure .SAF also adopted this termini , just like the Beja congress and the Fedral Alliance do , mainwhile   the main and original slogan of SAF is not the New Sudan , but -Towards a democratic Civil United State -civil here mean before all secular , but not only ..prof.Sondra and  Ustaza Magda Mohamed Ali has accepted New Sudan termini although they are not SAF supporters , and ironically ,even NDA and SCP last documents and Sadiq al mahdi articles began to use this termini ,which give a picture how this slogan has become attractive in the Sudanese scene .

Mutasim talks about the bad Sudanese habit to treat you as Halfawi if you were born of Halfawi parents , and to treat you as permanent communist if you read once Al miedan some 20 years ago ..But for my suprise he uses this "Halfawi Syndrome"  to analyze SAF current structure ..Mutasim sees nothing in SAF but the young mustagliin (independent )students who he  had deal with 15 years ago ..I think judging a new mature national movement today by discrediting some OTHER students movement is not fair ..He wrote that SAF members came from the mustaglieen and the National congress Party , some "disillusioned communists" and republican brothers ..I know that the membership in SNA is individual , and I know that the majority of SAF members and fighters were not members in parties before ..Mutasim talked about some ex-communist in SAF , and described them as "disillusioned" , and we can discuss about who is really disillusioned , ..but this fact  makes Mutasims argument about the refusal of HAAQ cadres in SAF because they are ex-communist out of value ..and if SAF could join people without partisan background , ex-communist ,ex-republican brothers and ex-mustaglieen in one organization under one program and one strategy , I think this   is wonderful, and it is an advantage for it  ..

SAF program and rhetoric and tactics are defiantly not the same as the mustaglieen movements ..SAF is more secular , more radical and more mature than the mentioned groups  ..and the different backgrounds of its members makes it more tolerance and democratic  , and the first commitment of these members is to use their positive experience gained in their old activity  and to avoid all the mistakes which made them leave their old backgrounds and look for advanced alternative in SAF.

The most serious argument in Mutasim battery is the generality and double -speaking and double stands in SAF programs ..and this should be a serious problem if it is right ..but I think Mutasim has read some of SAF earlier and general documents ..but SAF has prepared more advanced and detailed documents , here I can mention :

-SAF Program and support strategy (January 1997 - January 2000). The document  objectives aim at achieving the goals of the -Program and developing at the same time SAF structures

SAF General Plan of Action for implementing SAF Strategy(January 1997January 2000), with the following priorities: strengthening SAF infrastructure, support of military capabilities, provision of humanitarian needs for people in the liberated land, and mass mobilization for popular uprising.

A Strategy and Plan for the Development, Rehabilitation, and

Restructuring of the Democratic, Civil, United State: This  think presently at work.tank is

SAF First 100 Days Program: is a parcel of decisions and measures that will be applied immediately after the fall of the NIF regime to establish order, justice and provide immediate humanitarian and survival needs for the country.

SAF also has accepted a project to fight corruption in the internal period with 17 detailed measures , and published a paper abbot Federalism and Indirect Governance , SAF published also the Discussion Papers and Work Papers  ,which give more detailed SAF views about the key subjects and aspects of politics , culture , Economic and Social problems ,and some other important detailed documents.

 Of course it is only SAF  fault that these documents are not known for the wide public opinion ,but succeeding to prepare all these documents ,for a movement which is only 4 years old , and which  is engaged in military actions on 5 zones and in  organizational activities inside Sudan , is a quiet good step forward .

Mutasim gave  a big attention to SAF economical program, I am not capable to discuss this matter because I am not an economist ,but I will send Mutasim to SAF document :Guidelines for Economic Revival , which is a framework for SAF economic program and is elaborated now in greater depth and details .

Mutasim wrote about SAF talking about rural areas development and limiting government spending as a contrast ..That is a misunderstanding ..SAF has suggested credit policies and taxes policies to reorient the economics into investment ,especially in rural eras ,and explained the limitation of Government spending on such unproductive activities like War , military  , and exclusive administration and bureaucratic privileges , at the same time using the saved resources in investment and rebuilding  the social services ,specially  education and  health sectors which should target before all the poor and rural communities ..

Another word about Mutism question why SAFers didn't join the SPLM ,and build a national movement fighting for new Sudan , and he answered that SAFers will never work under a southern Commanders …Mutasim is a very experienced and sophisticated to see the things in this simple way ..The SPLM/A has gone a long road , but from the begging till now it failed to become a wide national movement ..Neither in its leadership or in its membership ..although it done a lot to recruit followers from other parts than the South ,but it remains  a movement which is representing the South mainly ..and I don't blame them for that , if they can really represent the interests and aspirations of the Southern people , but to blame SAFers for SPLM/A structural limitation , it is a gross exaggeration .

From the other side , the need for an alternative in the national scene -especially in Northern Sudan ,was more eager , since SPLM has grouped and influenced the new forces in the South ,while the new forces in the North was -and still -fragmented in many small organizations ,and SAF foundation was a step to unify these forces in the North and in the National scene .

Mutasim also asks about SAF recruits and the relations in its army , and he had some critics  with SAF leadership coming from the middle class , with titles and so on ..SAF army is build of many military elements , ex-officers and ex-soldiers ,and  from young people who has no military backgrounds , and volunteers coming from the liberated ereas and from inside Sudan and the front line ereas , escaping many difficulties to join SAF ..As I know , all SAF soldiers has one title : FIGHTER , despite their background and ranks ..Some of the conservative army officers (from the legitimate Command Organization )saw this as some kind of adventuresome and populism , and Mutasim sees elitism in SAF , so who we should believe ?.

From the other side ,judging people by their class origins, and not by their commitments to what they are doing and struggling for , is just another unfair , coming from the anti-intellectual rhetoric of the old Left ..especially when we notice that all of us -people engaged in this discussion- belong ,by origins , education or occupation -to the middle class. But despite this SAF is becoming more and more open and massive ..The majority of SNA members in the liberated ereas came from rural communities , and many of them are leaders in SAF now and they are administrating in a very talented way the local administration of their communities.

O.K , I think this  is enough , and I will not discuss all Mutasim arguments about SAF , because it is not my attention here and now to defend SAF  or other New Sudan forces , and it seems that Mutasim has nothing against New Sudan slogan in SPLM program ..and that is good ..The most important question left here is that :Is there any need for radical Change in Sudan social , political and cultural life , and are the traditional old parties are capable for doing such a change ? and if not , who will do it , and how we can do this change  ?

My answer to the first part of question is positive ,Yes ,there is such a need, for the second is negative , No ,the old Sudan forces are not capable , by their structure , interests and vision to make such a change ,,and this needed change can be done only by forces committed to renewal and oriented to a Just Secular United New Sudan , and these forces are arising everywhere and they are organizing and looking for directions , and only their unity will give them the power to overthrow the fascist regime and to put the bases for/ and build the New Sudan. Others can give different answers for this fundamental question .

I agree totally with Mutasim that we have to make serious and scientific analyses for all Sudanese problems and their origin , and to build our programs based on details ..and to come from the ideological thinking to the executive thinking , as my friend Amar Hamid suggested ..Because I believe that generality , empty slogans , populism and the lack of a serious intellectual and scientific base were the reasons behind the failure of old Sudan forces ,,and surely I don't want them  to be repeated by the ones who call for new politics and new ways of action in this critical moment for our nation and country .

For all that , I invite Mutasim , Nazik , D.Nahid , Magdollen,Magda ,Sondra and others to cooperation with the planed the New Sudan Research and Studies Center , which will be open for all critical thinkers and serious researches , and which we hope will give some of these detailed programs and critical intellectual base which Mutasim talked about , and the New Sudan forces need too much .

3-Women Emancipation and Sudanese political parties :

Another important subject in this debate was the relation between women emancipation and Sudanese political parties ..I will repeat here that the conservative traditional parties and the fascist Turabi group are against any form of women emancipation , although they are working through different methods : the traditional parties programs  based on traditional patriarchal ideology , while the Turabists based on formally moderated  contra-revolutionary ideology which uses women and other oppressed groups against their interests   and dignity, I discussed the double character of NIF ideology :its modern form and reactionist contents in  another

article, and I hope we can return to this in the future .

The main role to discuss here is of the SCP and the SWU in the process of women emancipation , since SWU was the oldest women organization and SCP was the first party to call for women rights.

SCP and SWU has done a lot of good work for women in Sudan , but there program was only positive and progressive in the fifteenth and sixteen's , after that ,the two organizations came to defense lines instead of attack ,and they gave the initiative totally to the NIFers and to the buerocratiic  Sudan Union of Women  of Niemiri regime , the SWU for the last 25 years has adopted the SCP reformist program  and Fatma Ahmed Ibrahim ideology  of "Progressive Islam" , and opinions declared by Suad Ibrahim Ahmed and the Women Rights associations in universities were treated as a western  feminism , not talking  about associations which worked against  female children humiliation (al khifad al far'aouni ), and were treated as enemies by SWýU leadership . SPLM and SAF women organization have a lot of work to do , but we have signs of women humiliation in SPLM controlled erars and the war zones , and even within SPLM/A ranks ..Mutasim point about the patriarchal phrase of Abu -something in SAF leaders nicknames is also correct, but it is not principal ..Any way the war is the worst place for women devolpment and the ideal place for women humiliation ..so these parties involved in military activities should give special attention to  women situation in the war zones

and within their ranks .

 

Considering that politics has a lot to say about women liberation in such a country like Sudan , where the civil society institutes are weak , the role of women and pro-feminist men in our political parties is to  put pressure inside   every party  to accept the minimum of women right program in their parties , this minimum program should include :

-Acceptance and signing of all International charters (UN) about women   and children rights and against women discrimination .

-To demand un -conditional equality for  women and the illegality of gender discrimination in the parties programs and in the National constitutions .

-To change all state laws to be in harmony with the international women rights Charters .

-To change the family law , and de-legalize one sided divorces , polygamy and forced marriages and .

-guaranteeing equal education , employment , and other service for