Former regime removal body denounces reinstatement of dissolved groups

September 5, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – All the organizations reinstated by the military government were façades for the activities of the banned National Congress Party (NCP), al-Bashir’s family and close circles of the regime’s dignitaries, said the suspended Empowerment Removal Committee.

On Sunday, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid issued a decision revoking the dissolution of 22 voluntary organizations and associations in the implementation of a decision of the Appeals Committee headed by former Sovereign Council member Raja Nicola.

The military-controlled government did not issue a statement about the reinstatement of these groups, but the text of the decision was widely disseminated on social media, as many Sudanese expressed consternation about “the return of the former regime”.

In a statement on Monday, the suspended committee condemned the decision, saying that the 22 organizations were dissolved for violating the law of voluntary and humanitarian activities of 2006 and several acts regulating the work of these organizations.

Some of these associations were hotbeds of corruption affiliated with the family of the ousted president, further said the statement. The Board of Directors of some of the dissolved groups were chaired by al-Bashir’s brother, while others were run by his wife, or his former first deputy, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha.

According to the report, these organizations were managing huge real estate projects, owning gardens, and disbursing their revenues in ways other than their declared goals, while being funded by the Sudanese Ministry of Finance.

The statement added that some of these organizations served as façades for the dissolved NCP.

Military component accused

The dismantlement committee revealed that the Sudanese army seized the Alissar Charitable Organization, which owns many projects, real estate, tourism companies and hotels.

“The Alissar charitable organization was one of the disputed issues between the ERC and the military component, as the committee seized all the assets of the organization and prohibited their disposition or use,”  stressed the statement.

Speaking about another group, the dismantling committee said that the Humanitarian Aid Organization was originally named Albir & Twassul a terrorist organization linked to Osama bin Laden suspected of financing the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Immediately after the coup, al-Burhan suspended the ERC and formed a committee to review its decision.

(ST)