The SPLMN Assesses the Humanitarian, Civilian and Military Situations in the Blue Nile Region.

Between the December 9th and 13th 2011, the leaders of the SPLMN gathered for an important and historic meeting in the Blue Nile Region. The meeting was attended by those responsible of the humanitarian operations, the civil authority officials and the commanders of the SPLA from the various theaters of military operations in the Blue Nile. The meeting was held in the Blue Nile liberated areas and presided by the Chairman of the SPLMN, Malik Agar, in the presence of the SPLMN Secretary General Yasir Arman who was accompanied by a delegation of those responsible of the Sudanese Relief and Rehabilitation Agency (SRRA) headed by Neuron Philip, Dr. Ahmed Saeed and Hashim Aortta and from the SPLMN/A the delegation included Ramadan Hassan Nimir, the treasurer, Adam Karshoum, the Deputy of the SPLM in South Kordofan, Arnu N. Loddi, the SPLMN spokesperson, Brigadier General Ahmed Balga and from the Parliamentarians it included David Koko and Ramadan Shemilla. The attendees of the meeting also included 174 participants from the leaders of the SPLMN/A, and the leaders of the civil administration in the Blue Nile. The meeting reached decisions on different area as follows: 1- The Humanitarian Situation: The SRRA delegation undertook a wide tour to survey the humanitarian situation in the Blue Nile region that included visits to different areas to assess the situation of the refugees and the displaced. The SRRA will release a comprehensive report in the next few days for the public and for those concerned with the humanitarian situations inside Sudan and the International community. The report will reveal the magnitude of the horrific humanitarian crisis caused by the NCP war, using the militias and all types of weapons by air and land, against the innocent civilians causing high numbers of death, injuries, displacement and refuge. The meeting participants in the course of holding their meetings in different places visited and saw a number of deserted villages while still the NCP aerial bombardment continued unabated. The delegation visited the deserted village of Balatuma, where 11 were killed in an aerial bombing that targeted the crowded village market. This humanitarian crisis is on the making happening and NCP regime still denying the delivery of food to the displaced since last September. This is by all measures is a war crimes that should be punishable. The SPLMN would like to reiterate its pervious position that any humanitarian agreement and/or establishing of corridors for delivery of food, medicine and other assistance, ought to consist three parties; the SPLMN, the United Nations and the de facto government in Khartoum. There is no other alternative to this formula since all the displaced are in the SPLMN controlled areas. The SPLMN has no objection to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all needy in both sides.

What triggers our concern is the news that the NCP regime declined the visit of the Bronx Valarie Amos, the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, to Sudan and she had to reroute her trip after landing in Turkey. This incident testifies to the persistence of the Khartoum regime of using food as a weapon to starve and kill the civilians in the war areas. Yet again, this is another war crimes and it is the responsibility of the international community to protect civilians. 2- Civil Administration: The members of the SPLMN, women and men, take their hats off in tribute and respect to the civilians in their solidarity and resistance to the NCP barbaric policies and salute the majority of the civil administration cadres in the Blue Nile Region who aligned themselves with the SPLMN and support its program of freedom, liberty and change and their rejection of the NCP policies. The SPLMN will continue building the civil administration to be able to deal with the current situation and in complete independence of the SPLA. In this respect, a number of civil administration committees have been formed to provide ideas and undertake certain arrangements. 3- The Missing, Detained and/or Sentenced: The meeting confirmed that a number of the SPLMN members are missing, especially from Damazin and Rosserus areas, since the start of the war in the Blue Nile and it is imperative upon all of us to track and count them until they are safe with their families. The appointed military governor of the Blue Nile affirms this by his own words when mentioned that their prisons and detention centers contain 120 of the SPLMN members. It is also known now that 19 of the SPLMN leaders are sentenced to death and are not allowed visits by their families or lawyers or the local and international human rights organizations. This is in addition to a number of the SPLMN detainees who are currently undergoing trials in Damazin, Singa, Sinnar and Khartoum. The SPLMN leadership is following closely these extra judicial processes internally and internationally. 4- The Military Situation: The military situation has been assessed in light of the NCP forces and militias offensive. With the participation of all areas military commanders and the presence of the Chairman and the Secretary General of the SPLMN, the meeting reached the following: A - Eleven Militias participated in the offensive of the NCP forces including the Janjaweed and others from South Sudan. B The attacking forces incurred heavy losses in lives and equipment. The number of dead, injured and missing of the NCP forces and militias, including those who fled before and after battles, amount to 10 thousand according to official NCP forces sources, especially in the battles of Damazin, Abugroun and Salie. In the Salie battle, the number of those injured amount to 1211 and that battle lasted for 14 hours according to the admission of the official Spokesperson of the NCP force Sawarmi Khalid who is a NCP cadre imposed into SAF.

In light of current absolute control of the NCP on the SAF, any talk about a future national armed forces depends largely on the building a new armed forces that is national and professional and that defend the country rather than point its gun and fighter jets against its own citizens. The NCP is the largest armed political party in the history of the Sudan. It intentionally distorted the image of SAF and turned it into its own militia and fired its best professional officers in a deliberate and systematic manner. C Based on its past military experience, the SPLA safeguarded all its forces and equipment in a profound manner and still controls the rural areas and surrounds the towns. It is for the first time in 25 years, the SPLA is in full control now of the Ingessana Mountains and conduct small operation in all fronts and behind the lines of the NCP forces. The meeting decided that to inform the public about the results of the operations via all media outlets. D The SPLMN/A leadership undertook visits to a number of military units and military and political training centers. The visits showed the enormous ability and capability of the SPLA. The meeting saluted the great victories achieved by the leader Abdelaziz Alhilu and the SPLA in South Kordofan/Nuba Mountains and the defeat of the NCP summer offensive and its political and military ramifications and fallouts and now known to all. The ramifications and fallouts are clear in the NCP attempts to raise the morale of its force with propaganda, the return of compulsory youth recruitment in the army and the rerun of Sahat Alfida (Sacrifice/redemption fields) and the parading of the Popular Defense Forces. The SPLM and the SPLA that were founded by Garang De Mabior and Yousef Kwa Makki were formed to stay and lead. The SPLMN and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front and the Forces of change will change the northern Sudan and will aspire to establish a Sudanese union between the two independent States in the north and the south on the ruins of dictatorship and totalitarianism. We are heartened by efforts undertaken by the people of eastern Sudan especially by the people and the youth of the Beja who are paving a new path whose features soon will be revealed. Last but not least, we are following closely with great interest and deep appreciation the efforts and struggle of the SPLMN members in the towns and rural areas of the Sudan, especially in Khartoum, the defiance to the government and its supporters. They have voiced and demonstrated conclusively the meaning of belonging and commitment. We send them our greetings. Long Live the struggle of the people of Sudan Yasir Arman

SPLM Secretary General December 14, 2011