The Guardian 17 May, 2006
Arab Summit and political reform
Statement from the Sudanese Communist Party
A statement by the Sudanese Communist Party has criticised the government of Sudan and some other Arab states saying that a meeting dubbed the Khartoum Arab Summit was held totally in isolation from the Sudanese people and that the absence of leaders of strategically and economically important Arab States constituted a clear failure of the diplomacy of the Sudanese regime.
The Arab League has so far achieved very few of the aspirations of the Arab peoples such as socio/economic and cultural development, basic freedoms, press freedom, and the freedom of expression, movement and organisation as well as the right to self-determination, participation of civil society organisations, the gender question and the political, social and cultural participation of women in a majority of the Arab countries.
Popular discontent
Arab popular discontent with their governments is the result of such pan-Arab gatherings being mere exercises in self-absolution. For the Arab peoples these meetings have become useless gatherings that produce condemnations and calls that are unrelated to any action.
A big institution such as the Arab League is suffering from the surrounding political environment which protects authoritarianism and the various ills of dictatorship and political exclusion. Such an atmosphere can only result in insignificant decisions like that related to Darfur. It would have been better for such a resolution to examine regional and international efforts to end the conflict so as to stop the humanitarian catastrophe, and present those who violated human rights and committed crimes against humanity to international justice.
The Sudanese people and their democratic forces are all concerned with the means to avert a looming catastrophe in the form of increased foreign domination that would take the shape of foreign intervention.
Darfur
Darfur has entered a new phase of the crisis. It is on the verge of division and final explosion. The Eastern front is quickly proceeding to the same fate if our people do not impose a peaceful, democratic solution on the government and the mediators who have been a part of the prolongation of the conflict and crisis in the Sudan.
The country is on the verge of a new war which can engulf the whole of Sudan. We do not confine ourselves to warning only, but have also throughout the past years presented alternative proposals to solve the question of national unity, democratic transformation, a durable peace while avoiding the danger of "Somaliarisation".
Independent platform
We continue to present our proposals from our independent platform and will continue to resist all plans to perpetuate the terrorist [Sudanese] State. We raised our voices high, and built our alliances on the basis of a national agenda that seeks to save the country from the danger of division and foreign intervention. We will resist foreign intervention — if it takes place — from our independent trenches, the trenches of the people. There will be in the trenches of the people all those who work for democracy, durable peace and respect of human rights.
There is no way to safeguard the unity of the country and avoid the looming catastrophe other than opening the way to democratic transformation and safeguarding peace and its achievements. This way is the hard way, but our people are capable of overcoming all difficulties. Let the efforts of all sincere people unite in the broadest democratic front to save the country.