Sudan’s opposition SCoP says concerned over fate of 23 detainees
December 20, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) on Tuesday has expressed concern over the fate of its detainees saying the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) has recently arrested two of its leaders.
Following the government decision to raise fuel and electricity price on November 3rd, the NISS launched a large arrest.campaign and detained 20 leading figures from the SCoP including its chairman Omer al-Digair.
In a statement extended to Sudan Tribune Tuesday, SCoP spokesperson Mohamed Hassan Arabi said the NISS on Monday arrested its secretary general in the River Nile state Isam Khidir and took him to an unknown location.
He added that the NISS also arrested SCoP chairman in Sennar state, 280 km. south of the capital, Khartoum, al-Mahi Mohamed Suleiman.
Arabi expressed concern over the fate of 21 SCoP figures currently being detained in Khartoum, El-Geneina, Nyala, Sinkat, Atbara and Rabak, criticizing recent statements by presidential aide Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid in which he denied knowledge of any political detainees.
In press statements on Sunday, Hamid denied that his government is holding any political detainees, but he was so quick to say “that is not part of my job”.
Arabi stressed that the NISS has detained 21 members of his party including Khaled Omer Youssef, Abdalla Shams al-Koun, Abdel-Qayoum Awad al-Sid, Ibrahim al-Sheikh, Mastoor Ahmed, Abobakr Youssef, Sulieman Dinary, Nour al-Din Babiker, Yassin Salah Shashoug, Omer al-Digair, Nour al-Din Salah al-Din, Ahmed Abu Zaid, Abdel-Rahman Mahdi, Jalal Mustafa, Omer Kamal, Ibrahim Abdalla, Imad Ahmed al-Hag, Ali Abu Mohamed, Taha Abu Taher, Hassan Abdalla and al-Malih Khaled.
Arabi pointed out that conditions and places of detention of its members remained unknown, saying the NISS continued to reject requests by their families to meet them.
It is noteworthy that the NISS continues to arrest more than 40 opposition figures from the SCoP , National Umma Party (NUP), Sudanese Communist Party (SCP), Arab Ba’ath Party, National Alliance Forces (NAF) as well as civil society activists and journalists.
The National Security Act grants the NISS broad powers, including preventive detention for two consecutive months.
The SCoP was established in January 1986. It was first chaired by the former chief-justice Abdel-Mageed Imam who was succeeded by Ibrahim al-Skeikh and has recently elected al-Digair as its third president.
The center-left reformist party calls for social justice and separation of religion and state. It also believes that peaceful transfer of power is the only way to stability and unity of the country.
In recent months, the SCoP has challenged the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and organized political activities in public and open places calling on the citizens to resist the regime and take to the streets in protest against the deterioration of living conditions at all levels.