Democratic Palestine : 10 (ص 21)
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- Democratic Palestine : 10 (ص 21)
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Biggest demonstration since Numeiri’s fall puts the ruling Military Council on the spot.
Sudanese mass organizations and
trade unions are showing growing irrita-
tion with the contradictory policies of
General Abdul-Rahman Swareddahab.
On July 4th, more than 40,000
Sudanese amassed in Khartoum for the
largest demonstration since the over-
throw of Numeiri in April. The same coal-
ition of trade unions, students and pro-
gressive political parties were this time
demonstrating against General Swared-
dahab and the ruling military council, for
refusing to demand the extradition of
Numeiri from Egypt. The demonstrators
marched to the Egyptian embassy, suc-
cessfully impressing on the ruling mili-
tary council that the Sudanese people
are still awaiting concrete results from
the overthrow of Numeiri.
Within days of the mass demonstra-
tion, the military council issued a formal
request to Egypt for Numeiri’s extradi-
tion to stand trial for the crimes of his
regime. The Mubarak government has
balked at any suggestion that Numeiri
be handed over to Sudanese officials.
Instead, he is being protected in an
expensive villa in Alexandria.
General Swareddahab has taken
great pains to preserve Sudan’s long
standing special role in the Egyptian-
American axis. The request for
Numeiri’s extradition was a pro forma
gesture designed more to appease
growing internal opposition than to actu-
ally make pressure for Numeiri’s return.
When Egypt replied that extradition was
prohibited by the Egyptian constitution,
General Swareddahab told The New
York Times on July 15th, «| respect their
laws.» He also assured American repor-
ters that Numeiri would not be tried in
absentia.
Mubarak has already paid a friendly
visit to Khartoum on June 17th, to insure
that there will be no erratic moves away
from Numeiri’s regional policy. Mubarak
met Swareddahab again the second
week of July in Addis Ababa at the
Organization of African Unity summit
conference. At the end of July, Swared-
dahab announced that he would visit
Cairo in the near. future. After the 1978
Camp David accords, Numeiri signed an
agreement with the United States,
pledging to abide by the Camp David
accords. His was the only Arab regime
lbesides Egypt to make such a formal
undertaking to the US. In 1982, Numeiri
Signed an agreement with Mubarak on
joint economic development and even-
tual integration of the two countries.
These two agreements have not been
abrogated, nor has General Swared-
dahab made any indication that he is
contemplating doing so any time in the
future.
Swareddahab attempts. to
strike a «balance»
To offset Sudan's continuing close
ties with Egypt, Swareddahab has
attempted to give his regime a national
face by signing military protocols with
Libya. Libya has agreed to supply Sudan
with some military equipment and train
several hundred military personnel. But
Swareddahab has also taken pains to
reassure the Reagan Administration of
his continuing loyalty. In The New York
Times interview he stated, «I am not at
all worried that our relations with Libya
might affect our relations with America.
There is nothing that our friends in the
West should be worried about. This is
not a military pact or treaty.» Clearly,
Swareddahab is worried that the
Reagan Administration will limit or cut
the 400 million dollars that was supplied
to famine-stricken Sudan in the past
year.
Swareddahab has declared a one
year period of military rule before elec-
tions for a civilian government. This is
unacceptable to the coalition of unions
and professional organizations that
mounted the anti-Numeiri demonstra-
tions in April. Swareddahab has also
failed to convince the Sudanese
People’s Liberation Army in the south of
the country that he is charting a course
different from Numeiri. Talk of bringing
members of the SPLA into the’ new
cabinet led nowhere and SPLA leader
Doctor John Garang has stated that the
Sudanese army attacks against the
South have never stopped. (See Demo-
cratic Palestine No. 9 - June 1985)
SPLA escalates struggle
The SPLA has escalated its strug-
gle with some of the largest military
operations in the two year war. The
SPLA launched a major operation near
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