Leading members of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement – North (SPLM-N), a rebel group that has been fighting against the Khartoum government since 2011, have called for the movement’s highest forum, the General Convention to be convened.

This comes after the SPLM-N deputy chairman Abdel-Aziz Adam Al-Hilu tendered his resignation due to sharp differences within the ranks of top leadership.

Unconfirmed reports said the SPLN-N’s Liberation Council in the Nuba Mountains region plans to revisit the list of its negotiating team and withdraw confidence from the movement’s secretary general Yasir Arman.

Brigadier Yasir Ja’afar Sanhouri, a senior SPLA-N officer removed from active service and designated retired, described the call in South Kordofan for convening an extra-ordinary convention as “healthy”.

 The returned general urged the other supporters of the SPLM-N movement to follow the same steps taken by the people of South Kordofan, while emphasizing the need for rebuilding the movement.

He pointed out that the only solution for the current situation is to convene the General Convention to rebuild the SPLM-N party structures to avoid one man's decisions.

Sanhouri said there is need to review the current negotiating team to prevent any possible split in the SPLA-N rebel group.

Separately, SPLM-N members from Darfur on Thursday issued a statement calling for convening an extra-ordinary General Convention.

They also rejected Al-Hilu’s resignation and called on the SPLM-N chairman, Malik Agar to work for unity in the movement.

Photo: Malik Agar, chairman of the SPLM-N (Tomo Kriznar)