The National Consensus Forces (NCF), a coalition of opposition parties in Sudan, is calling on all citizens to celebrate the October 1964 revolution, in which the “military junta” led by General Ibrahim Abboud was overthrown.

In an interview with Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, NCF Information-Secretary Mr Kamal Omar, invited the public to gather in squares to demonstrate against President Omar Al Bashir and his government and, at the same time, “commemorate the October 1964 Revolution”.

Omar, who is also the political-Secretary of the Popular Congress Party (PCP) , disclosed that some locations had already been identified for the day of protests: “The residential area of former President Ismail Al Azhari, the headquarters of the National Umma Party, and the October Square.”

He also hinted that the NCF intends to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) rebel coalition, which is fighting the government.

Last Thursday the NCF officially requested the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to form an international committee to investigate the killing of peaceful protesters by police forces during the recent anti-government demonstrations in Sudan. The move was criticized by Gutbi Al Mahdi, a leading figure within the ruling National Congress Party (NCP).

For their part, a coalition of Sudanese political parties and associated organizations condemned the “systematic negative media campaign waged by some foreign countries to incite violence in Sudan.”

The spokesman and chairperson of the coalition, Abboud Jabir, called for calm and restrain and affirmed that “some international media often broadcast unrealistic events in Sudan for their own hidden agenda.”

File photo: PCP Secretary-General Kamal Omar