US Secretary of State: Sudan’s former NISS head persona non grata in USA

Salah Abdallah 'Gosh', the former head of Sudan’s infamous National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), been designated banned from entry into the USA under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (Div. F, P.L. 116-6), due to his involvement in gross violations of human rights.

A statement by US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, on Wednesday says the Department has “credible information that Salah Gosh was involved in torture during his tenure as head of NISS”.

Section 7031(c) provides that, in cases where the Secretary of State has credible information that foreign officials have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States.

The law also requires the Secretary of State to publicly or privately designate such officials and their immediate family members. “In accordance with the law, I am also publicly designating his spouse, Awatif Ahmed Seed Ahmed Mohamed, as well as his daughter, Shima Salah Abdallah Mohamed,” Pompeo says.

“The designation of Salah Gosh and his family underscores our support for accountability for those involved in gross violations of human rights. We join the Sudanese people in their call for a transitional government that is truly civilian led and differs fundamentally from the Bashir regime, particularly on the protection of human rights. We make this announcement today in support of an effort by the Sudanese people to place the Bashir regime, with its long record of human rights violations and abuses by Gosh and other officials, in the past for good,” his statement concludes.

Secretary Pompeo also confirmed his decision on Twitter yesterday: “I join the Sudanese people in their call for a transitional government that is truly civilian led and is fundamentally different than the Bashir regime, especially as it relates to its human rights record and abuses implemented by Gosh and other officials,” Pompeo tweeted.

“Today I publicly designated Salah Gosh and his family members under Section 7031(c) for his involvement in gross violations of Human Rights in Sudan. Those designated are ineligible for entry into the US. We will continue to hold accountable those who violate human rights.”

Whereabouts unknown

Gosh was part of the National Security Council that staged a military coup d'état that ousted the Al Bashir regime on 11 April, however Gosh resigned on 13 April and was placed under house arrest.

On May 22, incumbent agents of the NISS prevented police from executing an arrest and search warrant at this home. According to reports at the time, the NISS agents justified the refusal saying that “instructions were not issued”. They then directed a vehicle mounted with a Dushka machinegun towards the vehicle of prosecutors, and threatened to fire.

While his name is included among the accused in criminal proceedings against members of the former regime, Radio Dabanga has been unable to independently confirm conflicting reports that Gosh might have fled to Egypt, or could still be in hiding in Khartoum.