Sudan minority party protests ban as “tyrannical”

KHARTOUM, Nov 1 (AFP) — An ethnic minority party on Saturday branded as “tyrannical” a government ban slapped on its activities and accused Khartoum of seeking to wipe out the Beja community.

The Beja Congress charged in a statement that the ban, announced Thursday, was “part of the regime’s plan to eradicate the Beja people,” and pledged to counter the decision by “political struggle and dialogue.”

“We urge the international community and civil society to exert pressure on the Sudanese government to respect its Beja citizens and to halt practicing state terrorism and renounce its tyrannical and repressive mentality,” it added.

The party denied it was involved in armed banditry and said the government had levelled this accusation to cover up its failure to ensure security in the eastern Kassala province, near the border with Eritrea.

The government charged that the party, which carries the name of an indigenous group of the Red Sea coast, had maintained an active armed wing responsible for a spate of attacks in recent weeks.

Government officials previously blamed these attacks on unspecified “gangsters” operating out of neighbouring Eritrea.

Earlier this month, Khartoum won rare plaudits from rights watchdogs for releasing a string of dissidents, including Beja Congress member Mohamed Fergerai, who was detained in September for criticising government policies at a campus symposium.

Sudan’s complex ethnic make-up has sparked a host of uprisings by non-Arab minority groups.

A rebellion by indigenous Fur, Zaghawa and Masalit minorities in the western Darfur region has left 3,000 dead and 400,000 people displaced since February, according to UN figures.

Peace talks are underway in Kenya to end a 20-year civil war in the mainly Christian and animist south.