Sudan bans ailing NUP/DBA leader from travelling to Cairo

On Thursday the security services banned lawyer Mohamed Abdellah El Doma, the co-president of the National Umma Party (NUP) and chairman of Darfur Bar Association (DBA) from travelling to Cairo for medical treatment, and confiscated his passport.

El Doma, who spent more than a month in detention, told Radio Dabanga that on Thursday as he was on his way to Cairo for treatment after completing all the travel procedures. “One of the security personnel informed me I was banned from travelling on orders from senior authorities and confiscated my passport.”

He asserts that this procedure is considered a violation of the right to travel and treatment that will affect his health which, he said, was already deteriorating when he was detained.

In a statement, the NUP strongly condemned the banning after more than a month of detention and the confiscation of his passport without legal justification.

The NUP said that the health situation of El Doma requires urgent medical follow-up, especially since he had already undergone surgery and received treatment in Cairo during the past three months and that the period of detention under extremely harsh conditions in Shala prison has doubled his suffering from back pain.

Right to travel

The statement stressed that this ban puts the life of El Doma in danger “and affirms with no doubt that the regime has violated its constitution, international law and Sudanese customs, all of which guarantee the right of movement and travel.”

On Thursday the security authorities released three of the leaders of the east after their detention had lasted nearly for two months.

Osman Hashim told Radio Dabanga that on Thursday Khartoum security services released Osman El Bagir, director of the office of commissioner of the presidential affairs in the Red Sea state, Hashim Ali one of the native administration leaders of Halaib and Abdelgadir Mohamed Musa of the leadership of Gunb and Olib area.

Osman El Bagir and Hashim were arrested for objecting to the work of Abruseiris for mining and demanding the rights of residents of the area in January.