Sudan’s dialogue parties condemn detentions; 13 activists released

Members of the National Dialogue coalition, consisting of the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), six government allied parties, and six opposition parties, denounced the recent detention campaign in Khartoum. The number of political detainees has dropped, as 13 activists were released on Tuesday evening. “The security apparatus still holds 35 people in solitary confinement in various parts of the capital. Ten women and three men were released on Tuesday evening,” Siddig Yousef, chairman of the Sudanese Committee of Solidarity with the Victims of the September Demonstrations, told Radio Dabanga. He also reported that security agents prevented a football match in commemoration of the victims of the September protests at Shambat square in Khartoum North on Wednesday. “The match would start in the late afternoon. Hours before, security forces occupied the entire square.” Yousef stressed that “despite all this”, a ceremony will be held on Thursday, in the Khartoum district of El Durushab, in commemoration of the people who were slain during the 2013 September protests against the lifting of fuel subsidies. Conducive climate For its part, the mechanism responsible for Creating a Conducive Climate for the National Dialogue denounced the detention campaign launched by the security forces on political and civil society activists since Saturday, in a proactive step by the authorities to prevent the happening of commemoration ceremonies in the capital. “The detentions are a flagrant violation of the principles’ agreement, signed by members of the National Dialogue’s Steering Committee in Addis Ababa three weeks ago, among them the ruling National Congress Party (NCP),” Hassan Osman Rizig, member of the National Dialogue Committee, and senior member of the Islamic opposition Reform Now Movement, told Radio Dabanga. “Apart from being illegal, the detention campaign affects the National Dialogue process. We can only organise a broad national dialogue in the country, if a conducive climate has been created, by the restoration of freedoms in the country and the release of all political detainees. If the government does not agree to that, there will be no dialogue.” The Islamic Popular Congress Party (PCP), led by Dr Hassan El Turabi, and member of the National Dialogue Committee, also condemned the detentions. Kamal Omar Abdel Salam, SCP political secretary, confirmed to Radio Dabanga that the detentions by the Sudanese security apparatus constitute a violation of the Addis Ababa National Dialogue principles’ agreement, and a threat to the National Dialogue itself. “We will raise the matter directly with the NCP and its security apparatus. If they do not respond positively, we may reconsider our stance concerning the dialogue.” File photo: Demonstrators detained by the security in Khartoum, September 2013 Related: UN HRs Council to discuss Sudan; Change Now releases list of detainees (24 September 2014) Sudan security detains more than 50 Khartoum activists (23 September 2014) Opposition memos to UN HRs Council, new Sudan security detentions (22 September 2014) Sudan committee, opposition agree on National Dialogue (5 September 2014)