‘At least 24 political activists held incommunicado in Sudan capital’

The Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) is reportedly holding 24 politicians and activists incommunicado in Khartoum. On Sunday, a court in Khartoum acquitted 25 young people who protested against the price hikes in November.

Fathi Fadul, the spokesman for the Communist Party of Sudan (CPoS) informed Radio Dabanga, that three of the detainees are senior CPoS leaders. “Two of them are members of the party’s Political Bureau. The third is member of the Central Committee.”

Following an attempt to hand a memorandum to the Presidential Palace, together with other members of the National Consensus Forces (a coalition of opposition parties) on Wednesday 30 November, security agents surrounded the head office of the CPoS and detained a number of party members.

In the memo, the opposition called for the resignation of President Omar Al Bashir, and the establishment of a transitional government that will end the wars, improve the economic situation, and put an end to the one-party system by organising free and fair elections at the end of the transitional period.

According to Fadul, most of the detainees are held in Kober Prison in Khartoum North.

“They have not been allowed to contact their relatives and lawyers so far. According to my knowledge they are decently treated, except for two doctors who allegedly have be tortured.”

He said that the CPoS “will definitely lodge a complaint against the State and the NISS for the arbitrary detention of the party’s members and the siege of the party’s premises last week”.

Sudanese Congress Party

Acting President of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP), Omar Abdelmonim told Radio Dabanga that according to his knowledge 15 party leaders are still detained.

“The detainees constitute about 80 per cent of the SCP’s Political Bureau, and include President Omar El Digeir, and the former president, now the deputy-president and secretary-general of the party, Ibrahim El Sheikh.

The SCP members were detained in the first two weeks of November, following public calls by the party leaders for demonstrations against the government’s new and far-reaching austerity measures.

More detentions

At least two pharmacist who protested against the sky-rocketing prices of medicines were held as well.

The security apparatus in Khartoum is also holding a number of medical doctors and teachers.

The medics were detained in end October and November for organising or participating in a strike in the country’s state hospitals, demanding protection while working, a pay rise, and better working conditions. Several teachers in Khartoum state, who demanded the same in mid-November were also detained.

Acquitted

On Sunday, a court in Khartoum acquitted 25 young people who staged a demonstration at the Khartoum Airport Road, in protest against the price hikes in November.

The court ruled that the action did not constitute an offence, as the defendants did not riot nor undermined the public safety.