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EU ambassadors call on Sudan to release activists

February 1, 2018 at 12:12 pm

Protests erupt in Sudan over economic difficulties [Sudan Tribune/Facebook]

European Union ambassadors in Khartoum yesterday called on the Sudanese authorities to release all political and human rights activists detained during recent protests against rising food prices.

In a joint statement, the European ambassadors expressed deep concern over “prolonged detention without charge of a large number of political leaders, human rights activists and other citizens, as well as the repeated confiscation of newspapers.”

The statement stressed on the need to respect Sudanese people’s rights to peaceful expression, including media freedom, and condemned the use of violence against peaceful protests.

The Sudanese government was not immediately available for comment on the European ambassador’s statement.

Read: 2018 is the year that could make or break Sudan

Over the past three weeks, the National Umma Party, the Communist Party, the Sudanese Congress and the Sudanese Baath Party have separately announced the arrest of several leaders and dozens of their members following protests in Khartoum against food prices.

The Sudanese authorities did not comment on the detentions but have repeatedly rejected the destruction of public properties during demonstrations and unauthorised gatherings in the country.

Earlier this month, popular protests broke out in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and other cities against the cost of living and poor economic conditions.