Another Umma Party member barred from leaving Sudan

The security service of Khartoum airport prevented a National Umma Party member from leaving the country to Cairo on Wednesday evening. El Fadil Tieman, Assistant Secretary-General of the Umma Party, was notified by the security personnel that high-level orders have restricted the leadership of the party, led by El Sadig El Mahdi, from travelling. Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has banned another member of the opposition party from travelling from Khartoum airport twice in the past two months. The Deputy President Mohamed Abdallah El Doma, also chairman of the Darfur Bar Association, was not allowed to travel to France on 6 August, “for security reasons”. Neither was he allowed to leave the country on 25 September.Speaking to Radio Dabanga on 6 August, a furious El Doma said that the ban is “completely illegal”, and “a violation of the Constitution as well as a violation of my personal right to travel freely. It flies in the face of all the promises President Omar Al Bashir is making.” A month and a half later, after being prevented from travelling again, El Doma added that he will take the matter to the court and to regional and international human rights organisations. File photo: Desk in Khartoum airport (skyscrapercity.com) Related: Sudan security bars Darfur lawyer from travel (26 September 2014) Dr Maryam El Mahdi released by Sudan security (9 September 2014)