Sudan lawyer admission committee revokes licenses of 31 attorneys

January 6, 2026 (CAIRO) – A Sudanese lawyer’s committee has revoked the licenses of 31 attorneys for allegedly supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), drawing sharp criticism from legal groups and political parties.

The committee, which is affiliated with a faction of the Sudanese Bar Association, issued the resolution on Monday. It targeted several prominent figures, including Taha Osman Ishaq, Hanan Hassan, and Rehab al-Mubarak, stating they had joined entities whose practices “contradict the ethics and honour of the legal profession.”

El Sadig Ali Hassan, acting head of the Darfur Bar Association’s Board of Trustees, told Sudan Tribune the decision was politically motivated and lacked legal necessity. He noted that since the lawyers in question do not recognize the committee’s authority and have joined the “Tasis” political alliance, they had not sought the annual license renewals the committee claims to have withdrawn.

“This decision was issued with a regime mentality that relies on media optics rather than professional objectives,” Hassan said. He added that the leadership of the group behind the decision is part of entrenched political struggles rather than professional regulation.

The Sudan Congress Party (SCP) also condemned the move as “illegal,” describing the committee as a front for the dissolved National Congress Party (NCP) of ousted president Omer al-Bashir.

In a statement, the SCP said the measures aim to deprive lawyers of their livelihood based on “arbitrary political accusations.” The party maintained that the rival Bar Association Steering Committee remains the only legitimate body representing the profession.

The move marks a further deepening of the institutional split within Sudan’s professional unions, which have been fractured by the ongoing war between the army and the RSF that began in April 2023.