Sudanese security arrests four internal opposition figures

November 23, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) on Wednesday has arrested four leading figures from the opposition umbrella National Consensus Forces (NCF).

“In an anticipated move from the regime, the NISS has arrested four members from the general commission of the NCF” said the alliance in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday.

According to the statement, the four detainees include Siddig Youssef, Mohamed Diaa al-Din, Tarig Abdel-Mageed and Munzer Abu al-Maali.

The NCF vowed to exert every possible effort to overthrow the regime and achieve aspiration of the Sudanese people – freedom, peace and justice.

“We wouldn’t be intimated by the detention centers and we promise you [the Sudanese people] to go all the way down the path of freedom and dignity or die as martyrs” further read the statement.

Meanwhile, the Arab Ba’ath Party (ABP) said the security agents took the four opposition leaders to an unknown location after they arrived at the NISS premises in North Khartoum on Wednesday.

In its newsletter on Wednesday, the ABP disclosed that the security summoned the four opposition figures at 11.00 am (local time) on Wednesday, pointing they were detained after they arrived at the NISS premises.

For its part, the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) denounced the detention of the NCF figures, saying the regime is reacting violently to the looming revolution.

In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, SCoP spokesperson Mohamed Hassan Arabi stressed the streets are getting ready to uproot the regime, pointing the detention campaign and human rights abuses wouldn’t deter the Sudanese people from achieving its goals.

Following the government decision to raise fuel, drug and electricity price, the NISS launched a large arrest campaign and detained 20 leading figures from the SCoP besides several members of the National Umma Party (NUP), Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Arab Ba’ath Party, National Alliance Forces (NAF), Reform Now Movement (RNM) as well as civil society activists and journalists.

The government decision stirred up small-scale protests in several towns across Sudan. Also, some two hundred private pharmacies in Khartoum went on partial strike and closed their doors from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday in protest against the government’s move.

(ST)