On May 14th, 1999, Sayed Sadiq Elmahdi, Umma Party Leader, issued
a press release saying that, "I appreciate in particular the
positive stand of the SCP inside the country concerning the
Memorandum of December 1998 and the project of political dialogue
whereas some individuals of the SCP abroad rushed in arguments
that blurred the situation of the SCP with regard to the
Memorandum of December 29th, 1998, and the political dialogue."

We are not willing to concern ourselves with the wrongful
suggestions as emanated in [Sayed Sadiq's] preceding statement.
Therefore, We inform of the following clarifications:-

(1) In the consultative meeting to evaluate the Memorandum of
December 29th, 1998, that was held by leaders of the NDA partners
at the Umma House with Sayed Sadiq's presence, the leaders agreed
that it was necessary to support the Memorandum by activating NDA
Abroad in all levels of political, military, media, and financial
activities. At the press conference which came after the meeting,
Ustaz Eltigani Eltayeb, representative of the SCP in the NDALC,
indicated that the political conditions inside the country will
never return to the past. Eltayeb emphasized that We have to
provide for military, diplomatic, and media campaigns to
strengthen the Memorandum and to improve the conditions of
struggles inside The Sudan.

(2) On March the 3rd, 1999, the SCP Abroad issued a statement
expressing support of the party to the Memorandum of December
29th, 1999. The statement depicted the Memorandum as "a prominent
indicator for the struggles of our Masses inside the country and
the struggles of the NDA Masses that support them abroad. The
Memo is a progressive step towards the organization of a broad
and patient mass movement on a daily base to achieve the Popular
Uprising. The Memo opened new horizons for the Opposition
activity inside Sudan as the political situation is now favorable
for the Opposition to involve publicly in collective work in the
name of the NDA. This will present to the Masses agenda and a
plan of action for the Masses to abandon the negativities of
apathy and complaints to a unity of direction, determination,
and action. The Memo ascertained the consciousness and clear
perception of the Opposition that so much as the Opposition is
willing to dismantle and overthrow the regime, the ruling regime
aims to dismantle the NDA unity. For these reasons, the NDA
Leadership inside The Sudan rejected any unilateral or bilateral
involvement with the regime and assured their collaboration as
collective force."

The SCP statement informed that the Memo came as a positive
development of the Opposition inside the country. It showed that
the mode of the Masses would not be changed. All this required
that the NDA Abroad must be careful and accurate in addressing
itself in political terms so that no negative signs are ever
disseminated to pour cold waters on the insiders' uprising
instead of supporting them and advancing their struggles with
the necessary enforcements.

The SCP statement emphasized the fact that the Memo integrated
with the March Resolutions of the NDALC on Peaceful Initiatives.
The March Resolutions included:

(*) Handling of the Sudanese problem in a comprehensive way.
(*) Rejection of reconciliation with the regime.
(*) Ending the civil war according to principles of the
Fundamental Issues Conference (Asmara 1995).
(*) Establishment of a "regular" pluralist democratic rule.
(*) Full commitment to international and regional human rights
instruments.
(*) Establishment of a decentralized system of rule to eliminate
Center's control of the regions and to distribute power and
wealth in a just way.
(*) Prohibition of any political parties on the basis of religion
or ethnicity.
(*) The exercise of elections and the Right to Self-Determination
under auspices of regional and international supervision.
(*) Dismantle of all institutions of repression and domination
and abrogation of all Decrees and Laws that validated them.
(*) Prosecution of whoever committed crime against the People of
Sudan and Sudanese citizens, especially crimes of war and human
rights violations."

(3) With the opening of this year, some Umma leaders began to
make announcements on the near occurrence of NDA meetings in
Libya to discuss Libyan efforts to make a reconciliation with
the NIF rule. Since our party was not informed of these efforts,
We issued a statement on February 26th, 1999, assuring that we
welcome the wish of the Libyan Leadership to find a peaceful
settlement for the crisis of our country. We indicated that the
announcements of some Umma leaders were not accurate as the
consultations by the Libyan Leadership had not yet been completed
with all NDA partners, including our party. This aroused Mr
Mubarak Elmahdi, an Umma leader. He came out with a series of
statements to the press that included wrongful inductions and did
insult the SCP. Our party did not reply in the press. The party
asked for a resolution of the issue inside the NDA bodies to
preserve the unity and integrity of the NDA. We also held a
series of meetings with the Libyan officials within the
cooperation needed in the search for a peaceful solution for
the crisis of Sudan.

(4) After the Geneva meeting between Sayed Sadiq Elmahdi and
al-Turabi our party issued a statement distributed in and outside
the country in which We ascertained that the Geneva meeting
between Sayed Sadiq Elmahdi and Dr Hassan al-Turabi was a private
initiative by the Umma party as part of its own independent
activity; hence, it would not be related to the NDA. Apart from
the repercussions of the meeting or the extent to which it
overlapped or not with the NDA Charter/Resolutions/Memorandums,
the presentation of the Umma initiative will lead the NDA to
either approve of it or reject it. This is a style that
undermines the most important premise of alliance and the
traditions of the NDA that helped to overcome the failures
and problems the NDA thus far met, i.e., the principle of
consultation.

The statement affirmed that the invitation to a peaceful
solution, as stated by the Asmara Resolutions and the Memorandums
of NDA inside Sudan, came as a fruit of the collective work and
the will power of all NDA partners, Opposition, and national
personalities. The invitation for a peaceful solution will not
materialize or become an efficient political force without
collective action. In our commitment to the unity and integrity
of the NDA, We suggested that the whole issue be exposed to an
open discussion by all NDA bodies and branches in and outside The
Sudan. Such discussion would renew the rules and methods of work
before the results of the Geneva meeting would be subsequently
discussed. We pointed out that when the party receives the
results of the Geneva meeting, the party would express its
viewpoint. We refused to comment on the Geneva meeting, as we
preferred to wait until the results are received from Sayed Sadiq
Elmahdi.

(5) We regret the statement Sayed Sadiq Elmahdi issued, as it will
arouse more disagreements inside the NDA. We regret it came at
this particular time in which our country is passing through a
dangerous turn that had been further escalated after the Geneva
meeting while the NDALC meeting is just on the way!

Finally, let our will unite to dismantle the NIF regime instead
of dismantling the NDA. Let our lines unite to lead our country
to safety.

Communist Party of Sudan

May 15th, 1999
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