Sudan refuses amendments to restrict security powers

The Sudanese parliament yesterday rejected constitutional amendments limiting the powers of the security and intelligence apparatus which is accused by the opposition of suppressing its activities.

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir called, during the national dialogue, to restrict the powers of the security services and to guarantee political freedoms.

The new amendments propose that the role of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) be reduced to the collection of information and that they not be able to detain someone without an arrest warrant issued by a judge.

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However, last week the National Assembly passed the parliamentary emergency committee for constitutional amendments’ report retaining the powers of the NISS.

The committee has justified its decision by saying “the exceptional circumstances of the country which required granting broad powers to the security apparatus in the January 2015 amendments still exist and continue to threaten national security”.