Freed Sudan opposition leader says release of political detainees not sufficient for dialogue

September 17, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The head of the Sudan Congress Party (ScoP) Ibrahim al-Sheikh vowed not to enter into any deals with the government and downplayed the significance of the ongoing national dialogue process called for by president Omer Hassan al-Bashir earlier this year as long as it does not lead to annulment of restrictive laws, implementing the rule of law and enforcing the independence of judiciary.

“That will not be enough because there are a large number of detainees who are [still] in the prison as well as the need to stop the war and the supply distressed areas that suffer from shortage in food and medicine,” he said in press statements after his arrival in Khartoum from North Kordofan state following his 3-month detention.

The ScoP leader reiterated that that he will not apologize for accusations he made against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) saying any such move is a “betrayal and a crime and disregard to the martyrs of September [2013] protests”.

Al-Sheikh was arrested by Sudanese authorities last June after remarks he made at a symposium in al-Nuhood town in which he denounced the RSF government militia and charged its members with committing abuses against civilians in conflict zones.

He was accused of defamation government troops and undermining constitutional order until his release this week as a result of a presidential order after efforts led by African Union (AU) mediator Thabo Mbeki.

Al-Sheikh predicted that he would re-arrested and said sarcastically “every time we are arrested the president graces us and sets us free”.

He went on to say that his release is a product of natural evolution that has occurred in the national dialogue and the intervention of Mbeki.

Sudanese authorities also arrested the head of the National Umma Party (NUP) al-Sadiq al-Mahdi separately last May but freed him a month later after an apology made by the party on anti-RSF statements their leader made.

The NUP Central Commission stated that they support the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and that what al-Mahdi mentioned regarding RSF is derived from complaints and claims “that are not necessarily all true”.

The ScoP said in a statement this month that al-Sheikh was subject to daily pressure directly and indirectly for the purpose of forcing him to apologize and retreat from the statements he made against the RSF.

The EU mission in Khartoum welcomed on Wednesday the release of al-Sheikh.

The head of the EU Delegation to Sudan, Tomas Ulicny, told reporters following a meeting of the EU ambassadors in Khartoum that to create a truly conducive environment for the holding of the national dialogue, the release of al-Sheikh and NUP deputy chairman Mariam al-Mahdi should be followed by the adoption and implementation of other steps to ensure the full respect of political freedoms.

Ulicny demanded enactment of the necessary legislation to give effect to these freedoms besides releasing all other political detainees, and the opening of space for legitimate activities of the civil society.

On Tuesday, authorities also released 8 SCoP members from the prison of El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan state including university professor, Sideeg Nourain, journalist Hassan Ishag, SCoP’s Fakoki area chapter chairman, Ibrahim Ahmed Salim and 5 other student members.

Al-Sheikh disclosed in a speech before his supporters at the party headquarters in Khartoum that more than 50 security officers ambushed him at the entrance to Jebel Awliya in the south of Khartoum as he drove from al-Nuhood and surrounded his vehicle to search it under the pretext that it is loaded with weapons and drugs.

He said he was forced to leave the vehicle and told the officers that they should arrest him if they find what they are looking for.

The opposition leader said the charges against him, such as undermining the constitutional order, has no link to any of the statements made by him against the RSF.

He thanked Mbeki for his efforts to secure his release and also thanked the US embassy and Egypt.

(ST)