Sudan dissolves 24 Charity groups close to the former regime

November 23, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC) Saturday issued a decree cancelling the registration of 24 organizations known for their relationship with the ousted regime of Omer al-Bashir.

The most known of these humanitarian organizations – including governmental and others non-governmental) are Sanad Foundation run by al-Bashir’s wife, the National Youth Union, the Women’s Union, the General Union of Sudanese students, and Hassan Ahmed al-Bashir charity organisation, run by al-Bashir’s brother.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Development issued a statement pointing to the existence of irregularities in the registration procedures, fundraising and irregularities in the technical agreements of these organizations.

These groups enjoy exemptions from direct and indirect taxes and they are granted lands to build offices or facilities.

Sudanese Islamists used the privileges granted to these organisations to do business and to import exempted merchandises in the country. They were also used to grant the funding of the then ruling National Congress Party.

The dissolution of the 24 groups was welcomed by the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA).

“The decision to dissolve these organisations is an affirmation to continue in the direction of dismantling the former regime and its institutions,” said Wajdi Saleh the FFC’s spokesman.

The SPA said the decision was directed against organizations that served as facades of the former regime and its partisans.

“They were used as tools to steal public money, state land, money laundering, and to enrich influential people in the former regime and its party membership.”

Also, these organisations have “also been used to finance the regime’s militias, shadow battalions and terrorist cadres.”

(ST)