Sudanese security blocks civil society conference in Khartoum
September 13, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has prevented civil society groups from organising a regular meeting at a hall in Khartoum scheduled for Saturday.
Al-Bagir Afif, Director of the suspended al-Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment, said that Tayba Press was hosting the meeting.
He told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency that the meeting was for a “confederation of civil society organisations”, which is a coalition of 25 organisations.
Afif added that this move comes as part of a “fierce campaign waged by the authorities on any gathering, not just [relating] to civil society organisations”.
Sudanese authorities have not yet commented on this incident.
Activists accuse the government of obstructing the activities of civil society organisations not loyal to it.
They also note that the campaign waged against these groups since January 2013 as the “worst”, during which 15 centres were closed, most notably the Centre for Sudanese Studies, al-Khatim Adlan Centre for Enlightenment, The Forum for Narrative, Story and House of Arts.
Last year, then first vice-president Ali Osman Taha defended the crackdown on independent pro-democracy centers and suggested they are undercover bodies whose goal is to undermine the regime.
In an interview on Sudan TV, Taha said that many international intelligence agencies use these centres as an “interface” to implement their agendas.
“This is no secret. There is now an American book called The Rogue State. This books talks about the connection of some organization with CIA […] in many countries. Even some Sudanese groups were mentioned by name,” Taha said.
Taha said that they will make the information contained in the book available to the public.
Activists mocked his assertions saying the book contains no such thing.
These organisations also say that government agencies tasked with issuing licenses for them have prior knowledge of their budgets and resources and how it is spent.
Last April authorities shut down the Ali Zein cultural centre due to alleged exercising of political activities in violation of their licence. Later on they were allowed to partially resume their work but their activities were limited to teaching music.
Two months later, authorities withdrew the licence of Salmmah Women’s Resource Centre and did the same for Development of Civil Society Centre last week.
(ST)