Strong opposition to Sudan’s proposed security bill

The draft new Internal Security Agency Bill has provoked angry reactions from across Sudan’s political spectrum, complaining that it grants the authority the right to detain someone without a court order or warrant for two days, reminiscent of the powers granted to the security apparatus during the Al Bashir regime.

The Darfur Bar Association (DBA) denounced the security bill proposed by the Minister of Justice, indicating that the law violated the Constitutional Document that stipulates the need to limit the powers of the authorities. They explained that the bill gives members of security forces a judicial authority to arrest and detain in private guards. The DBA Association Management Committee, along with other groups, announced that it would work with lawyers to prevent the passage of this law and to accelerate the authority of the Legislative Council as stated in the Constitutional Document.

The Communist Party of Sudan (CPoS) also announced its categorical rejection of the Security Bill. The CPoS said in a statement after a meeting at its political office on Saturday, that the bill was a new episode of conspiracy against the forces of the revolution. He said that the law poses a threat to public freedoms and represents a step towards dictatorship. The CPoS accused the military component of the Sovereignty Council and the Council of Ministers of seeking to undermine the December Revolution and accused the Minister of Justice of playing a fundamental role in drafting laws aimed at aborting the revolution. The party called on all revolutionary forces to stand together to defeat this bill.

Justice Minister Nasreldin Abdelbari announced in a statement that the bill was prepared by a limited-membership committee composed of representatives from relevant ministries and agencies and that it has not yet been presented for discussion at any official level. He explained that, like other bills, it will soon be presented to a group of experts on the rule of law, security affairs, and issues related to the democratic transition to discuss and revise the bill before embarking on the establishment of broad consultative workshops as part of preparations for presentations to the Council of Ministers.

During his statement, the Minister of Justice said, “We must here reaffirm that the transitional government is committed to the democratisation of the legislative process, which requires, among other things, popular participation in the process of enacting laws and legislation, and that it never approves a draft law that undermines human rights and freedoms’’.

He explained that those interested in legal matters should communicate with the relevant ministerial bodies to obtain the correct information or to verify current information. He pointed out that the challenges of the transition towards full democratic rule require from all of us continuous communication and coordination until the current democratic path reaches its final goals.