Security forces raid training centre in Sudan’s capital

Security agents stormed the TRACKS Training and Human Development Centre in central Khartoum on Thursday.

One of the participants of the training session held at the Centre that day, reported to Radio Dabanga that dozens of heavily armed security forces stormed the premises, and ordered the staff and the participants to hand over their computers, laptops, and personal belongings.

“They did not give any explanation for the raid, and the confiscation of our and the Centre’s belongings.”

During the past few years, the Sudanese authorities closed a number of civil society organisations, among them the Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO, in 2009), the Sudanese Studies Centre (2012), the Nuba Mountains-based Organisation for Human Rights and Development (hudo, in 2012), El Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment and Human Development, which was Khartoum’s leading pro-democracy think-tank (2012), the Cultural Forum for Literary Criticism (2012), the House of Arts (2013), the Aslan English language teaching centre (2013), the Centre for Civil Society Development (2014), Salmmah Women’s Resource Centre (2014), and the Sudan Human Rights Monitor, founded by Dr Amin Mekki Madani (2014).

In January this year, the Ministry of Culture cancelled the registration of the Mahmoud Mohamed Taha Centre in Omdurman, the National Civil Forum, and the Sudanese Writers’ Union, without citing reasons or relevant legislation.