Recent pacts make Bashir "more acceptable"

Other regional observers believe Bashir to be less bound by ideology than Turabi, pointing to improved relations with Ethiopia and recent peace deals with opposition leader Sadiq al-Mahdi and with Uganda as evidence of his political pragmatism. Senior lecturer and research analyst at Nairobi University, Professor Moustafa el Said Hassouna, told IRIN that although
Bashir's declaration of a state of emergency was "ill-timed" and had caused "fear and apprehension" in Khartoum, his pact with the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni had given him a new dose of legitimacy in the region. "Despite this unprecedented move [suspension of parliament], he is seen as the more acceptable face of the conflict," Hassouna said.