Security closes down church based organisation in Nyala

Security authorities closed down the headquarters of the Sudan Council of Churches in Nyala, South Darfur yesterday morning. Sources said that security personnel went to the office and demanded staff hand over keys and vehicles before ordering them to leave the premises. They said three of the staff members of South Sudanese origin were arrested and taken to an unknown destination. A number of other church based organisations including a clinic in Nyala were also closed by security without any explanations. The Sudanese Organisation for Rights and Freedoms said the clinic provided free medical care to people in need at a time when humanitarian organisations had been expelled from the region. They said this closure came two days after pro-government militants set fire to the church compound in Khartoum. They strongly condemned the incident and demanded an investigation into those responsible for starting the fire.