Security agents in Damazin town in Sudan’s Blue Nile State arrested Hussein Issa Zaid on Tuesday after he presented a petition to the American envoy who visited the town.

A source told Radio Tamazuj that several native administration leaders who wanted meet the visiting American envoy were immediately summoned and interrogated by local authorities. 

He added that Hussein was arrested after the visiting American envoy left Damazin.

“The visitor left the town without holding a meeting with the native administration leaders because the leaders were all summoned by the authorities,” he said.

The visit of the American envoy was aimed at acquainting himself with challenges the native administration is facing after they petitioned the presidency in the last two months.

In December, several Blue Nile leaders submitted a petition to the presidency addressing a number of issues including a land sale in the state after the State Ministry of Agriculture gave a 90 year lease of some land to the Jatropha Company.

The traditional leaders arrested previously included Mek Abdelmalik Hamdan of Keili, Omda Bade Khalifa Kabbas of Olo, Omda Ibrahim Uthman Keili, and others.