Sudan Football Association in turmoil

A large quarrel developed in front of the offices of the Sudan Football Association (SFA) in Khartoum this morning. The police had to intervene to contain an escalating conflict between supporters of Dr Mutasim Jaafar, Chairman of the Association, and a group led by former Defence Minister Abdelrahman Sirelkhitim.

The Association was supposed to hold a general assembly this month, where a new board of directors would be elected. The current president however had expressed his doubt about the correctness of the election procedures in a letter to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). FIFA responded by postponing the holding of a general assembly and the election for a period of six months.

“This morning, we found the doors of the Association’s offices closed. The members supporting Dr Jaafar refused to allow us to conduct the electoral process,” Justice Abdelaziz Sayed Ahmed, head of the election commission told the press this morning.

The members then turned to the Khartoum Football Stadium, where 49 SFA members elected a committee of seven members that started preparing the general assembly with the intention to elect the new board of directors.

In a press statement today, Tarig Atta Saleh, a leading SFA member, pointed to the decision of FIFA to freeze the election until 30 October.

He said that they will inform FIFA of the developments today and the unjust pressure on members of the election commission to hold a general assembly at the Khartoum Stadium. “Those who participated in these unfair procedures must bear the consequences, which may include the freezing of football activities in Sudan.”

The secretary-general of the Sudanese Football Association, lawyer Majdi Shamseldin, commented to the press in Khartoum today that “The general assembly and the election will be held after the authorisation of the statutes of the Sudan Football Association by FIFA. A committee will visit Sudan to review the statutes”.

He stressed that there will be no assembly or election before 30 October. “The decision of FIFA is clear: the convening of the general assembly and the holding of the election is to be postponed for six months.”

This morning, the Khartoum Airport authorities barred Dr Jaafar from travelling to Cairo, without providing a reason.

The Sudan Football Association was founded in 1936, became part of FIFA in 1948, and belongs to the founding members of Confederation of African Football.