Buthaina Dinar Sudan’s Federal Government Minister resigned from her ministerial position on Tuesday as her group, SPLM-N, is witnessing growing divisions over the position to adopt towards the coup of October 2021.
Malik Agar made the peace agreement his priority and distanced himself from the formerly ruling Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) while his deputy Yasir Arman said the restoration of democratic rule is key for peace and stability in Sudan.
However, their difference gradually engulfed the whole movement following Agar repeated statements criticizing the FFC and those who participate in the anti-coup activities. In return, Arman responded to these attacks and continued to mobilize the SPLM-N’s political wing in support of the anti-coup forces.
On Monday, Agar stated that the Movement has nothing to do with those who participate in the activities of the FFC leadership and different committees.
“The SPLM-N under the leadership of Malik Agar did not send any of its members to participate in the FFC meetings. Any member who participated (in these meetings) represents himself and not the Movement,” said Agar.
In a short statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday, Dinar announced she is resigning from the transitional in support of the revolution and peace.
“In continuation of my position in support of the causes of the revolution and the demands of the Sudanese people and peace, I will present a reasoned resignation from my position as Minister of the Federal Government,” she stated.
She added that her resignation will be submitted to the government and the SPLM-N.
Asked by Sudan Tribune about the reason for her resignation, Dinar said she would “unveil the reasons for her resignation soon”.
Following the coup of October 2021, the minister had decided to resign from her position despite the decision of the coup leaders to maintain the ministers who joined the government in accordance with the Juba Peace Agreement.
She changed her mind hoping that a political agreement would be reached to restore the civilian-med government.
However, her resignation on Tuesday seems to result from the rift within the group between the supporters of the two historical leaders.
In parallel; 16 SPLM-N delegates representing the Movement within the FFC committees on Tuesday issued a joint statement, including their names and positions in the FFC committees, to voice their commitment to the democratic change in Sudan and the pro-democracy coalition saying that peace and democracy are intrinsically linked.
They further underscored that the SPLM-N is a founding member of the coalition, a signatory of the FFC reunification declaration in August 2021 and that the deliberative conference of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front in March 2022 reaffirmed its adhesion to the anti-coup coalition.
The statement of the 16 cadres, follows a statement released on Monday by Arman and three other SPLM-N members – al-Haj Bakhit and Ihsan Abdel Aziz Manal Alawal- who denounced Agar’s statement against the participation of the group in the FFC.
“The statement attributed to Malik Agar is unfortunate and will not enjoy the support of the overwhelming majority of the SPLM-N leadership and members as well as its masses and friends”.
The statement further called on the group members to express “their opinion publicly” over this development.
They further declared their “unequivocal adherence” to all the achievements of the Juba Peace Agreement and the gains it reaped for the peoples of the war-affected regions.
They pointed out that these regions actively participated in the December revolution, which put peace as one of its three slogans.
During the past years when he was the SPLM-N secretary-general before becoming the deputy chairman, Arman controlled the movement’s political organisation and continued to maintain this relationship while Agar counted on the loyalty of the movement’s fighters who were almost from his region.
Agar supporters mobilize
The SPLM-N Agar section in South Kordofan – Nuba Mountains issued a statement in support of the organization’s leader, Malik Agar, and hailed his positions on the return of refugees, the implementation of security arrangements and the restructuring of the army.
The unsigned statement further accused the FFC of undermining the peace agreement, and denounced the participation of the movement’s leaders in the coalition offices, describing it as a “betrayal of the blood of thousands of martyrs.”
The statement of Nuba mountains hinted at the dismissal of the anti-coup leaders stressing the need to review the organizational structure of the group.
It is worth mentioning that after the split of the SPLM-N in the Nuba Mountains in 1917, some of the movement’s members declined to follow Abdel Aziz al-Hilu.
Also, Maj Gen Siddiq Almansi Albasil Commander of the SPLA-N infantry forces in the Blue Nile issued a statement supporting Agar.
“We will stand as a strong barrier to the attempt of some to play with the gains of peace or use it for political gain or try to disrupt its implementation with false claims,” said Albasil.
” Those who have not tasted the horrors of war do not know the greatness of the cessation of gunpowder and the bleeding of blood,” he added.
Source: Sudan Tribune