Khartoum. – General and presidential elections are scheduled for April 13-16 in Sudan. In the lead up to the vote-casting opposition parties and western governments have criticized the elections as undemocratic due to the fact that large areas of the nation remain in open war, and most viable opposition parties have been banned.
According to the Sudan Tribune, the Sudanese Revolutionary Front’s (SRF) external relations secretary, Yasir Arman, condemned a decision by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) to monitor the contested general elections. The three day electoral process is boycotted by the opposition forces which denounce the absence of freedoms of expression and gathering. They also call to postpone it and to dedicate efforts to end war and achieve democratic reforms.
Over the past month SPLAN-N rebels have attached nearly a dozen garrison towns across South Kordofan state. According to Nuba Reports, „their goal is to disrupt the elections and show the government the scope of their military reach. The attacks have been highly coordinated, often hitting multiple garrison towns on the same day.“ Nuba Reports states that a truck of ballots was seized on the road to Kadugli, the state capital. The rebels are targeting garrisons and military installations, however, according to the UN, thousands have been displaced.
The new campaign has had some success, Nuba Report analyses. Sudanese election officials have postponed parliamentary elections in seven counties, and effectively cancelled presidential elections.
Nuba Reports is produced by a network of journalists from the Nuba mountains. Armed with cameras and journalistic training, they have returned to their homeland to document the conflict for audiences both inside and outside Sudan.
=> More Information: Nuba Reports
Source: nubareports.org
