Sudan detains head of eastern political party

KHARTOUM, June 14 (Reuters) – Sudanese authorities detained, interrogated and then released the leader of the main eastern political party in Khartoum on Tuesday, but demanded she return for questioning the next day.

A Beja man rides his camel in the rebel-controlled area of Eastern Sudan, near the border with Eritrea in this picture taken June 4, 2005. (Reuters).

Eastern Sudan is one of many outlying regions of Africa’s largest country where residents complain of neglect at the expense of central Sudan around the capital Khartoum, the homeland of most of the country’s ruling elite.

Amna Dirar is secretary-general of the opposition Beja Congress, a political party with a military wing active in the east of Sudan. The party’s military wing joined the smaller Free Lions rebel group to form the Eastern Front movement earlier this year and the rebels kidnapped three politicians last month.

“They detained me and kept me there for five hours for questioning,” Dirar told Reuters. “I have to report back to state security headquarters tomorrow morning.”

Dirar recently returned from neighbouring Eritrea where she met other Beja Congress representatives and discussed conditions for possible talks with the government. State security forces asked her about the meetings there, she said.

“I think because I am a woman they don’t want to arrest me immediately … so they are keeping me coming and going instead,” she said. “They want to put pressure on our people so they come to negotiate with the government and reach an agreement.”

Khartoum accuses Eritrea of helping rebels in both eastern and western Sudan. Eritrea denies the charges.

Rebels are active in Sudan’s east, but on a much smaller scale than in the south or the western region of Darfur. Eastern rebels have in the past blocked the road to Sudan’s only sea port, or attempted to blow up the main oil pipeline which runs to the port and is vital for Sudan’s budding oil industry.

Dirar said her political party had no influence over rebel groups in the east and had requested the release of the kidnapped politicians. She said 18 party members, including the Port Sudan head of Beja Congress, were still under arrest without charge.

They were arrested after Port Sudan police opened fire on a peaceful march there in January, killing at least 20 people. The government then entered into dialogue with the eastern parties.