Sudanese army seizes water research centre, expel workers
April 7 2020 (KHARTOUM) – A Sudanese army force seized a research centre of the Ministry of Irrigation outside Khartoum and prevented its staff members from having access to the unit without explanation or informing the government of the move.
In a statement released on Monday, Abdel Rahman Seghiroun the Director of the General Administration Centre for Studies and Data Systems said the force occupied the building last January but allowed them to continue to perform their duties without a problem.
“However, on March 23, the force took full control of the centre (located in Soba suburb in southern Khartoum) and prevented the workers from entering and performing their work,” he added.
The seizure of the Centre is an unprecedented development by the military of a civilian administration,” he stressed pointing that it is affiliated to the irrigation ministry.
Last January, the force commander said they have been ordered by the Sovereign Council to occupy the centre.
The centre includes units of studies and design, development and protection of hydrological data systems,
It is tasked with the overseeing studies of agricultural projects accompanying the dam projects, managing and protecting the data of major schemes of irrigation, water harvesting and drinking water. The centre is also charged with the data of existing and future dams, in addition to implementing the water monitoring development project.
The Sudanese official said that the irrigation ministry has remained silent during the past three months while seeking to resolve the issue with the concerned authorities.
“The Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yasir Abbas tried to solve the problem by contacting the concerned authorities in the Cabinet (defence minister) to find out the motivations, but the problem has exacerbated by preventing workers from exercising their duties,” he added.
The minister expressed hope that the Sovereign Council and the Council of Ministers would resolve the matter as soon as possible.
During a recent joint meeting, the Forces for Freedom and Change blamed the prime minister for his inertia towards addressing such issues with the army.
(ST)