NGO

SOAT

Sudan Organisation Against Torture

SOAT Press Release 5 June 2003

Arrest and Harassment of Women Activists; Suspension of Women’s NGO

At 10:30 am on Monday 2 June, five officers from the Sudanese National Security Agency (NSA) arrested 38 women from the Nuba Mountain Women’s Association and 3 men who accompanied them as they were departing for a women’s conference for peace and development in Kawda town, Nuba Mountain.

The conference participants began their journey from the ‘Awda district in Omdurman only to be intercepted at Kalakala in Southern Khartoum, where they were met by 6 NSA pick- up trucks and 2 cars with blackened windows. The NSA officers, armed with kalashnikov rifles and pistols arrested the delegates and transported them to the NSA offices in Kalakala East, where they were searched in an antagonistic manner and insulted verbally. Following this, they were interrogated regarding their movements, the intentions of their trip and any relations they may have had with the SPLA.

8 conference delegates were then transported to the NSA offices in Omdurman (near Omdurman Traffic Police Station) where they were forced to sign a declaration promising that they would not leave Khartoum without the permission of the NSA. A number of personal items were confiscated from the group- including mobile phones, computer equipment, documents and diaries containing private details of contacts. In addition to this, a sum of approximately 8 million Sudanese pounds was confiscated and the delegates made to sit on the floor for an hour in the hot sun. The following people were released at 9pm on Monday 2 June but ordered to report to the NSA offices in Omdurman on a daily basis, from 8am in the morning until 8pm in the evening;

Huda Dawood (f)

Huwaida Bashir Kumi (f)

Ja’fariya Bashina (f)

E’timaad Faqih Ali (f)

Samir Abdallah (m)

Zeinab Balnadiya (f), President of the Ruayya Association, Jumm’a Durman (f), Camilla (f) were taken to the Khartoum NSA offices until they were finally released at 2am on the morning of 3 June 2003. They were also ordered to remain in Khartoum and to report to the NSA offices daily as described. They continue to do so.

The remaining members of the Nuba Mountain Women’s Association were released from the NSA offices in Kalakala at 2am on the morning of 3 June 2003. The offices of the Ruayya Women’s Organisation in Al- ‘Awda, which was the initial meeting- point for the delegation’s trip, has since been closed down by the NSA.

SOAT condemns the continuing restrictions on the freedom of association in Sudan and the Harrasment of women rights actvist and urges the Government

SOAT condemns the arbitrary arrest of, and urges the Government of Sudan

1) Take all necessary measures to ensure the physical and psychological integrity of all the women named above.

2) To allow freedom of association in general and to cease harassment of women’ s rights activists

3) Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of association throughout Sudan in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

The above recommendations should be sent in appeals to the following addresses:

His Excellency Lieutenant General Omar Hassan al-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan President’ s Palace PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan Fax: + 24911 783223

Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin Minister of Justice and Attorney General Ministry of Justice Khartoum, Sudan Fax: + 24911 788941

Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail Minister of Foreign Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan Fax: + 24911 779383 Dr Yasir Sid Ahmed Advisory Council for Human Rights PO Box 302 Khartoum, Sudan Sudan Fax: + 24911 770883

His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim,

Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva,

PO Box 335,

1211 Geneva,

Switzerland,

Fax: +4122 731 26 56,

SOAT is international human rights organisation established in the UK in 1993. If you have any questions about this or any other SOAT information, please contact us:

SOAT

The Park Business Centre Fax: 020 7372 2656

Kilburn Park Road E-mail:

London NW6 5LF Tel: 020 7625 8055

Website: http://www.soatsudan.org

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