Sudan’s junta expels SPLM-N leading members to Juba: Agar
June 10, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Transitional Military Council has expelled to Juba Yasir Arman the deputy head of the SPL0M-N Agar, the Movement’s Secretary Ismail Jalab and its Spokesperson Mubarak Ardol.
The official Sudan News Agency issued a short statement on Monday morning saying the three have been released from jail without further details. Also, the authorities did not explain the reason for their arbitrary detention.
“They were denied access to their accommodation, on the contrary, the TMC deported them against their will using a military aeroplane to Juba. This happened despite their rejection of the forceful deportation,” Agar said.
Agar further condemned “the uncouth behaviour” of the military council stressing it “is a manifestation of the intentions of the TMC not to hand power to the civilians and not to reach peace”.
Arman had been arrested on 5 June while Jalab and Ardol were arrested on 8 June after a meeting the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who convinced the opposition to accept resuming talks with the government under some conditions.
The three SPLM-N Agar leading members arrived in Khartoum as a goodwill delegation to promote peace and reconciliation after the fall of al-Bashir’s regime.
For his part, in a tweet posted after his in Juba, Arman said he was deported by a military helicopter to Juba.
“I was not aware of where they were taking me. I asked them many times. They tied me up in the helicopter together with Comrade Ismail Khamis Jalab and Mubarak Ardol,” he added.
The arrest of the three SPLM-N Agar leading member was condemned by the Sudanese opposition, the region and the international community.
The military junta had pledged to release Aram soon, Abiy told the opposition groups during his meeting with them.
(ST)