Arrest and Detention of Beja Congress Leaders

Human Rights Alert: 01 February 2005

Arrest and Detention of Beja Congress Leaders

In the early morning of 1 February 2005, security forces in Port Sudan arrested Abdallah Mussa Abdallah, General- Secretary of the Beja Congress in Red Sea State, from his home in Port Sudan, eastern region of Sudan. On the same day, the security forces also arrested senior members and activists of the Beja Congress in Port Sudan and Kassala. The men are being detained at security offices in Port Sudan and Kassala. Their details are as follows:

Port Sudan

1. Hashim Ali Doura

2. Abdelrahim Albury

Kassala

1. Ali Hussain

2. Mohamed Samra

3. Hussain Adam

4. Dr. Mahmoud Ibrahim Osman

No reason has been given for their arrests, however their arrests and detention follows a demonstration on 29 January 2005 in Port Sudan by members of eastern tribes, predominantly the Beja tribe citing consistent socio-economic and political marginalisation by the government of Khartoum. During the demonstration, police forces fired live ammunition killing 19 people including two children and a woman.

SOAT considers that these men are being arbitrarily detained on account of their political opposition to the government of Sudan (GoS), and is calling for their immediate and unconditional release from detention. SOAT is further calling on the GoS to give assurances that the men will not be tortured or ill-treated.

In addition SOAT has received confirmation of the death of a further four persons because of injuries sustained during the demonstration on 29 January 05. They died in the early morning of 1 February 2005 at Port Sudan Hospital. The details of the four persons are as follows:

1. Osman Mohamed Adam

2. Mohamed Badri Badneen

3. Abdallah Mohamed Issa

4. Mohameddeen Alwagadabi

SOAT strongly condemns the use of excessive force resulting in the death of the demonstrators and the arbitrary arrest and detention of these men. SOAT welcomes the government ordered committee to investigate the cause of the shootings on demonstrators on 29 January 2005 and urges the GoS to ensure the committee is independent and impartial and to bring those who used and ordered excessive force against civilians to justice.

The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association are guaranteed by international human rights law. Article 20 of the Universal Declaration states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.” Article 21 of the Civil and Political Covenant secures the right to peaceful assembly and Article 22 protects freedom of association.