Sudanese activists detained following women-led anti-war protest

August 30, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Security authorities in Damazin, the capital of the Blue Nile, have taken into custody several Sudanese activists who organized a demonstration, drawing hundreds of women demanding an end to the ongoing conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

According to a statement released Wednesday by the Damazin Resistance Committees, the arrests have been attributed to the General Intelligence Service. The authorities intercepted the morning protest, apprehending ten activists, a photojournalist, and Musaab Rizkallah, a defender of women’s rights. While some were released following questioning, others, including prominent activist Nahla Al-Badri, remain in custody.

Around two weeks ago, the Blue Nile government issued a circular explicitly forbidding any political activities aimed at inciting an end to the war, accompanied by warnings of arrests for those who defy the directive.

The demonstration follows President Al-Burhan’s recent speech, which refuted any inclination to align with the Rapid Support Forces, reaffirming his commitment to overcoming these forces.

Both the General Intelligence Service and the Military Intelligence Agency have been cracking down on the activities of civilian groups that advocate for an end to the war. This crackdown has resulted in the arrests of those advocating for peace while permitting activities that endorse the conflict’s continuation.

Approximately three weeks ago, a feminist symposium organized by the “No Oppression of Women” initiative titled “Lay Down the Weapons: A Women’s Plea” was disrupted by the Gezira state government due to its call for an end to the war.

The Damazin Resistance Committees conveyed, in a statement provided to Sudan Tribune, that “plainclothes security personnel raided a protest organized by Sudanese women and mothers in Damazin. Most attendees were apprehended and transported to the intelligence service headquarters, where they were detained.”

This arrest has been regarded as a concerning sign and a legal violation, as it indicates a return to the practice of arrest and detention by the General Intelligence Service.

Following the ousting of President Omer al-Bashir in April 2019, the authority to arrest individuals and conduct searches was transferred from the National Security and Intelligence Service to the General Intelligence Service. The scope of the latter’s tasks was then limited solely to gathering information.

In a recent announcement, the General Intelligence Service called upon soldiers and officers of the Operations Force, the agency’s military branch, to resume duty. This unit was previously known for intimidating activists before its disbandment by the civilian transitional government.

A participant informed Sudan Tribune that the demonstration had initially been scheduled two weeks prior but had been postponed due to limited participation. She confirmed that female activists had been requested by the mothers of martyrs and wives of prisoners in the Blue Nile to join them in protesting the war’s continuation.

The protest was planned to commence at eleven in the morning and last an hour. However, a mere ten minutes after it began, two police vehicles arrived to disband the gathering and arrest participants.

Reportedly, Mona Balla, head of the “Women for All” network, was taken from her residence at 08:00 a.m. and released three hours later. Although urged to cancel the protest, the participants persisted.

The Tribune obtained the names of those detained: Hafiza Mohamed Abdel-Jabbar, Nahla Al-Badri, Maryam Abdallah Jabir, Hajir Haider Al-Tahir, Wafa Adam Abuna, Awab, Jawaher Ibrahim, and Musab Rizkallah.

The demonstration was held at Al-Mawlid Square under the slogan: “We Resolve Your Issue without the Sound of Guns.”

In a statement on Wednesday, the “No Oppression Initiative” condemned the detention of women and decried what it labelled as “barbaric actions by the authorities.” The initiative called for an end to practices that hinder civil activism, suppress freedom of expression and obstruct the path to democratic engagement.

(ST)