The Sudan Liberation Movement refute the baseless and unfounded misinformation of the Sudan Tribune

■The Sudan Liberation Movement read with astonishment the piece of information published by the Sudan Tribune on 5th of October 2022, which stated that “the idea that SLM/A is planning to hold a conference in Khartoum gave the impression that the movement had abandoned his old position and that SLM/A chairman is leaving Juba after rejecting South Sudan Republic’s president Kiir efforts for peace in Sudan ”, furthermore in a separate incident , on 24th of August Sudan tribune contrived that, the Ugandan government has turned down a request by the movement to mediate because the movement is not committed to pursue genuine cause and has no vision and ideology.
Therefore; the Sudan Liberation Movement want to clarify the following points: –

■First: What came from Sudan Tribune is sheer lies, baseless and unfounded misinformation intended to distort the image of the movement in the media. But what spurred Sudan Tribune to fabricate broad daylight web of lies repeatedly against the movement in a shameful poor attempt to gain from a movement seeking nothing, but to cultivate and promote ideals of freedom, peace and justice, law- based governance and create a better country for all Sudanese. whilst, the movement and its leadership had not been in touch with Sudan tribune since 2017.
However; it is a known fact that; the few political and military elites of Sudan who hijacked power against the will of the massive majority through bloody dictatorship for nearly seven decades since the independence in 1956, they controlled all state institutions and dominated the economy, media houses, foreign policy and all aspects of human life in the country,
Accordingly, and based on the mentioned bizarre reality in the country, it is not strange for Sudan Tribune, to deviate from the ethics of honest and professional journalism and do the bidding of the Sudanese elites, and purposefully, be blurred to view the movement’s wholistic national vision that was seen and grasped by most Sudanese except the Sudan tribune.
■Second: The Sudan Liberation Movement/Army resorted to the armed struggles as a mean of national struggle when all the peaceful means of al Bashir’s regime change was exploited to no avail, thus armed struggle became the option of last resort when Al Bashir declared that, they came to the power through the barrel of the guns and whoever wants the power he seized in a pre-dawn coup and at gunpoint has to take up arms. However; mindful of the consequences of war, the movement from the early stage of the conflict went with sincere intention with the regime of Al Bashir to Abeche (1) and abeche (2) peace talks in 2003, then N’djamena (1) and N’djamena (2) peace talks in 2004, to be followed with 7 consecutive rounds of peace talks in Abuja 2005, until it became abundantly clear to the movement, that the war – minded Islamist regime of Khartoum is lacking a genuine political will to address the root causes to the conflict and that primarily interested in peace of ministerial positions that give a bread – earning jobs to its signatories, while the regime continue perpetrating genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity as happened in South Sudan and still happening in Darfur, Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile state with impunity.
■Third : After Abuja, the movement mindfully and systematically refused to participate in any forum as the methodology of resolving the conflict continued to be the same thus several piecemeal agreements were signed the latest of which is the Juba peace agreement that was signed with the transitional government on the methodology of the deposed president Al Bashir’s peace agreements , nonetheless; all these agreements not only drastically failed to resolve the conflict but aggravated the situation to the worst with multiplication of the death toll, displacement and suffering even after the aborted transitional period of the prime minister Hamdok as the massacres of Fattah Bono, Kirinding 1 and 2 and the bloodshed in El Geneina, port Sudan and Kassala are the glaring reality on the ground as facts speak for themselves
■Fourth : When the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army continued to reiterate that, sustainable and lasting peace in Darfur can only be realized through conflict suspension, conflict resolution and conflict transformation it is because of the nature of the conflict and it’s uniqueness as Al Bashir’s regime armed certain tribes along racial base and therefore; without disarmament of these militias; removal of the settlers from the lands and Hawakeers ( historical communal lands) of the forcibly displaced IDPs and refugees, taking perpetrators to international justice in the Hague and fairly compensating the victims both morally and materially there cannot be a just and comprehensive peace in Darfur.
■Fifth: Moreover; when the movement declared a unilateral Cessation of Hostilities (CoH) in 2017 is to allow unfettered access of humanitarian assistance to the besieged vulnerable population in the movement’s-controlled territories after Al – Bashir’s regime waged it’s retaliatory brute aggression using chemical weapons against civilians in Jebel Marra in 2016. However; the Movement committed to the pledges it made to the people continued to renew the unilateral ceasefire in the midst of government’s attacks, violations. And provocations, until the advent of major shift of the December people’s revolution in 2018.
Deeply convinced on regime change through peaceful means, and having forced to adopt armed struggle with heavy heart and sheer moral and physical necessity to avoid extermination the movement renewed the ceasefire to give a chance to the gallant Sudanese people’s glorious revolution to bring forth the fundamental change through their experienced and tested peaceful methods as the Sudan Liberation Movement is and will continue to be for the people, by the people and with the people.
■Sixth: Realizing peace and stability in Sudan will continue to be the strategic objective of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, therefore; will spare no efforts to achieve comprehensive, sustainable, just and lasting peace which address the historical root cause to the conflict, to this end; the representatives of all SLM/A sectors held its broad- based consultative conference between 25th of June – 3ed of July 202, in which the participants ratified the document of the dialogue and further mandated the leadership of the movement to hold the Sudanese- Sudanese dialogue inside Sudan with the participation of youth and women groups, the Kandaks and the youth of the revolution ( Shafata), IDPs and refugees, resistance committees, the native administration, religious and sectarian leaders, civil society groups, the students, political parties and forces, the revolutionary struggle forces, the military establishment, except the National Congress Party (NCP) and its undercover organs and facades.
The intra Sudanese dialogue as the brainchild of the movement is therefore the only optimum approach to resolve the Sudanese crises once and for all, without which the country will go down to abyss.
Whereas the transitional government of the ex- prime minister Hamdok opened a new horizon thus the chairman of the movement met prime minister Hamdok twice in France and the Republic of South Sudan in order to promote in -depth and down – to -earth consultations and lay the foundation for resolving the root causes of Sudan’s conflict through Sudanese – Sudanese dialogue but Al Burhan’s coup on 25th of October 2021, hampered the convening of the dialogue and created the current stalemated political situation. However; the movement will work with the revolting Sudanese masses on the streets to topple the coup regime in order to create a conducive environment for viable and meaningful comprehensive dialogue.
■Seventh: The Sudan Liberation Movement/ Army’s old and renewed unwavering position towards the victims of geocide is moral and eternal and will make every sacrifice needed to see the chains of oppression and dictatorship that hold the entire nation captive broken, we will not surrender, nor capitulate, nor compromise, until we cease to be prisoners of a government that does not represent the will of the people.

■In conclusion; The above – mentioned is the explicit vision of the movement; thus, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army will vigorously work with the masses, the generation of the revolution and forces that believe in the comprehensive fundamental change to form a broad -based national alliance to realize the national vision of the movement and achieve the objectives of the glorious people’s December revolution.

Mohammed Abdelrahman Elnair
The Spokesperson of the Sudan Liberation Movement.
8th of October 2022