Opposition: Sudan at risk of civil war

Groups that oppose Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir are close to forming an alliance that could lead to a civil war in Sudan, an opposition leader said. Yasser Arman, the secretary general of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement's northern branch, said in an interview with Radio France Internationale the "umbrella" group would have enough momentum to remove Bashir and bring an "era of democracy." "It's high-time for Bashir to be removed. Bashir is worse than (former Egyptian President) Hosni Mubarak, worse than (deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi)," Arman said. "At least Hosni Mubarak did not divide Egypt and Bashir if he continues, he's going to, again, divide the present north Sudan." Arman said SPLM-N and groups in Darfur are finalizing an alliance that he called the "Sudanese resistance movement in Darfur." "We've already initiated and started this process and we are going to finish by having a joint political and military structure and a U.N. military command," he said. "We will reach out also to the other Sudanese political forces." Arman spoke Tuesday in Paris, where he was discussing the unrest in South Kordofan and Blue Nile with French diplomats. He said SPLM-N is lobbying the United Nations Security Council for a no-fly zone from Darfur across South Kordofan to Blue Nile in the east and seeking humanitarian aid. He said more than 300,000 civilians have been displaced and an independent committee is needed to investigate human rights violations, mass graves and war crimes. South Kordofan unrest started in June just before southern independence and spread to Blue Nile early last month.