Sudan: Local politician assassination sparks outcry

The Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) has accused the Military Intelligence of assassinating Salah Al-Tayib, the leader of the party’s branch in Al Gazira State.

The Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) has accused the Military Intelligence, a branch of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), of assassinating Salah Al-Tayib, the leader of the party’s branch in the Al-Qurashi 24 area of Al Gazira State, within a detention facility.

According to a statement obtained by Radio Tamazuj on Friday, the Sudanese Congress Party revealed that Military Intelligence arrested Salah, a lawyer and the head of the branch, on April 17, along with others from the Al Azazi area.

The statement clarified that the party had previously confirmed in a statement that the arrest was made without any legal justification, and no legal procedures were followed against the detainees before any competent prosecutor. It indicated clearly the authorities’ eagerness to deprive the detainees entirely of their legal and human rights.

After his arrest, despite authorities claiming he had escaped, Salah Al-Tayib was subjected to direct torture until he lost his life.

The statement highlighted that despite Military Intelligence denying the victim’s presence and claiming he fled following his arrest, eyewitnesses from his area confirmed the arrest, which occurred openly. 

The Sudanese Congress Party pledged that this crime would not go unpunished, asserting that the perpetrators would face justice. They declared that they had compiled a detailed file containing the names of the perpetrators and the specifics of the crime.

In this context, the lawyer, also a member of the legal sector of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), emphasized their continuous calls to end the ongoing war, highlighting that civilians bear the brunt of the suffering.

He stated, “The warring parties persist in committing atrocious crimes against civilians due to the absence of law and the prevalence of impunity.”

Describing the assassination of lawyer Salah Al-Tayib as a heinous crime against an innocent civilian, he criticized the silence of the Sudanese army and its institutions in the face of such atrocities.

He further remarked, “The killing of Sudanese Congress Party member Salah Altayyib is part of a pattern of heinous crimes perpetrated by Islamist extremist militias under the guise of Military Intelligence associated with the Sudanese army.”

The Sudanese army maintains control of the western cities of Al-Manaqil and Al-Qurashi in Al Gazira State. In contrast, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have controlled the rest of the state since last December.

Pro-military authorities have recently initiated legal proceedings against several political leaders on various charges, including crimes against the state, inciting war, collaborating with the enemy, and undermining the constitutional system.

These charges have led to arrest orders being issued for individuals from diverse backgrounds, including politicians, journalists, senior civil servants, and civil administration officials associated with the Civil Democratic Forces alliance (Tagaddum), a coalition of political parties, civil society, and professional groups calling for an end to the ongoing war.