SPLM-N denounces closure of human rights centre in Khartoum
March 1, 2016 (KHARTOUM) -The rebel Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) Tuesday has condemned closure of the Khartoum Centre for Training and Human Development (Tracks) by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).
He said that an armed force from NISS raided Tracks’ premises in Khartoum on Monday night and seized the centre’s vehicles and employee laptops and personal belongings including their mobile phones, saying it has forced the workers to reveal their passwords.
Ardol denounced the detention of three people including Track’s general director Khalf Allah al-Fif and two visitors by the names of Mustafa Adam and Al-Shazali.
The statement pointed that NISS continued to “harass and persecute” human rights defenders, peaceful activists and journalists to prevent them from reporting on the deteriorating conditions of the Sudanese people.
He added that the move “reveals the hotbeds of the regime’s corruption” and its lies about engaging in dialogue and allowing freedoms.
“Criminalizing the work of human rights defenders and closure of training centres and suspension of newspapers became a familiar tool for the NISS to suppress the free press and curb human rights work and the various forms of peaceful activities”, said Ardol.
“Security restrictions and arbitrary measures have downsized activities of the civil society organizations particularly those defending human rights as well as the press which reveal the real situation in the country,” he added.
The statement further underscored SPLM-N’s support for the activists, civil society organizations, cultural centres and the journalists to defend liberties and human rights.
SPLM-N called for ending “suppression” of the human rights defenders and civil society organizations, expressing concern over the closure of several cultural and training centres including Al Khatim Adlan, Sudan Studies Centre, Bait al-Fonoon, Salmah and Mahmoud Mohamed Taha Cultural Centre.
The statement urged the opposition forces and activists to fend off NISS’s campaign against cultural and training centres and the press.
In December 2012, Sudanese authorities closed three civil society groups: Sudanese Studies Centre (SSC), Al-Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment and Human Development (KACE), the Organisation for Human Rights and Development (ARRY). The Cultural Forum for Literary Criticism, a literary forum, was also closed.
Weeks before the closure of these groups, government officials had accused the organisations of being linked to the opposition and working to topple the regime.
In March 2014, NISS banned for the first time a celebration of Women’s Day organised by the Salmmah Women’s Resource Centre and other groups.
(ST)