Sudan’s opposition condemns ‘silence’ of international community

Sudanese opposition forces denounce the silence of the international community regarding the deteriorating human rights situation in the country.

In a press conference in Khartoum on Tuesday, Dr Maryam El Sadig El Mahdi, co-vice-president of the National Umma Party condemned the continuation of the government's air and ground attacks against “innocent civilians” in South Kordofan, the Blue Nile, and Darfur, as well as the ongoing suppression of the freedom of expression in the country.

She fiercely criticised the international community for its “dealing with the Sudanese regime’s gross human rights violations in the country in an out-of-date manner”.

Sudanese Congress Party

Ibrahim El Sheikh, head of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP), told the press that six members of his party are currently being held in semi-detention at the headquarters of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) in Khartoum. “They have to report themselves at 10 am, and are being held until midnight.”

He pointed out that the questioning of the six party members focuses on the public campaign against the government in various parts of the country, initiated by the SCP early this year.

On 5 August, NISS agents detained Khaled Omar Yousef, foreign affairs assistant to the SCP chairman, in his home in Khartoum. They confiscated his car and mobile phone, and took him to their office at Street 57 in El Amarat district, where he was questioned. He was released late that evening and told to appear again the next morning. The same happened with SCP member Majdi Okasha that day.

A few days later, on 9 August, SCP activist Widad Derwish was held in Omdurman. When she refused to re-appear at the NISS office three days later, security agents took her from her home to an unknown destination.

On 8 July, SCP Political Secretary Mastour Ahmed Mohamed was flogged, together with two other prominent party members in front of the Omdurman Criminal Court, immediately after having been convicted of disturbing the public order. They had been detained on 28 April at Soug Libya in Omdurman during a public rally in which they openly criticised the policies of the ruling party.

The SCP has vowed to continue its campaign against Khartoum “until the regime has been overthrown”.