Sudan bars human rights activists from travelling

Security agents banned two human rights activists from travelling to UN meetings in Geneva on Monday.

Human rights activists Sawsan El Shaweya and Muawiya Shaddad planned to participate in UN Human Rights Council sessions in Switzerland. “But the security banned us from travelling, confiscated our passports, and ordered us to come to the security service’s office in Khartoum on Tuesday,” they said.

Both have prepared reports representing Sudanese civil society organisations.

Last week, security agents at Khartoum airport banned journalist Faisal Mohamed Saleh from travelling to London, and activist and prominent member of the Communist Party of Sudan Siddig Yousef from boarding a plane to Geneva. Yousef also intended to take part in meetings of the UN Human Rights Council in preparation for the Council’s periodic report.