Sudanese security delays entry of opposition figures upon return from France

November 16, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Security agents at Khartoum airport Monday have delayed entry of two opposition figures into the country upon their return from France where they attended opposition meeting.

The deputy chairman of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP) Mariam al-Mahdi said in a WhatsApp text message the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) delayed her entry to the country along with the member of the Civil Society Initiative (CSI) Babiker Mohamed al-Hassan upon their arrival from Paris.

She pointed out that security agents handed them over their passports and allowed them to enter the country after 15 minutes.

However al-Mahdi didn’t mention whether the two other members of the CSI delegation Galeela Khamis and Abdallah Musa who were accompanying them went through the same measure or not.

On Sunday, the opposition alliance National Consensus Forces (NCF) said that NISS detained the chairman of the Sudanese National Alliance Party (SNAP) Kamal Ismail early morning upon his return from Paris for several hours and expected that the rest of the returnees would face the same fate.

The opposition “Sudan Call” forces including the NCF, National Umma Party (NUP), rebel umbrella Sudan Revolutionary Forces (SRF) and the Civil Society Initiative (CSI) held a four-day meeting outside Paris to discuss issues of regime change as well as organizational issues pertaining to the alliance.

They decided to work for the establishment of a transitional national government either through dialogue or popular uprising.

(ST)