Cabinet lifts restriction on women travelling abroad

BBC Monitoring Middle East

By Sudanile.com electronic newspaper

KHARTOUM, Nov. 14, 2003 — The cabinet yesterday affirmed in a meeting chaired by the president of the republic, [Staff] Lt-Gen [Umar Hasan] al-Bashir, that travelling is a basic human right of a woman and that this right should not have any restriction or limitation without a legal justification that permits the denial of this natural rights.

The minister of welfare and Social development, Ustadha [honorific] Al-Samia Ahmad Muhammad told Suna [Sudan News Agency] after the cabinet meeting that the reasons for imposing the restriction was no longer valid and that Sudan is safe and secure, offering freedom of movement to all its citizens both men and women.

The minister added that it is no longer necessary to have that procedure which came as part of general regulation in response to certain entry and exit conditions.