As per the Forces and Freedom and Change (FFC), Two significant Sudanese political figures who held top positions in the civilian government before a military takeover in the country in October last year were arrested on February 9 Wednesday.
The arrests mark an extension of a crackdown on military critics and follow those of dozens of activists who are linked to a rallying movement against the October 25 military.
The detained two officials, Khalid Omer Yousif and Wagdi Salih, had earlier been involved in a task force that took property and fired officials liked to the regime of ‘Omar al-Bashir, who fell to a popular uprising in 2019.
Yousif also worked as a cabinet minister in a civilian government under a power-sharing agreement between the military and the Forces and Freedom and Change (FFC).
In whole Sudan, nearly 105 people were in prison without accusations over political activity. Most of the members of local opposition committees were detained in Khartoum’s Soba prison, ‘Samir Sheikh Idris’, a spokesperson from the lawyer’s group.
Nearly 2,000 people were punished and detained and even released on bail in connection with protests since the coup, said Idris.
However, Sudan’s public prosecutors’ office did not respond to a request for comment.
The disruption in Sudan worsened last month more; when the resignation of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok came, he was the civilian face of the transitional government for the previous two years.
Prime Minister ‘Abdalla Hamdok’ was ousted in the October coup only to be reinstated under heavy global pressure a month later. He stepped down on January 2 after his whole efforts to reach a compromise failed.
The country, which was already holding a dire economic crisis before the coup, has seen vital foreign aid cut as part of the international community’s condemnation of the takeover.
According to the Sources from Yousif’s Sudanese Congress Party, security forces arrested him from the party headquarters and took him to the North Khartoum police station.
As per the Tweets from Salih’s account, he was taken to the same station and then Omdurman Prison, along with another member of the task force and was under examination regarding a charge of “breach of trust”.
Thousands of Sudanese protested against the military rule on Monday, February 7, in Khartoum and other cities. They were worried about the return to the government of the ousted Bashir regime members.
During that protest on Monday, some 79 members have killed by security forces. However, police and security forces said that peaceful protest is allowed.
The United States, which broke $700m in help to Sudan after the coup, has warned that a continued crackdown by the authorities would have “consequences”.
