Sudan’s army bars top politicians from leaving country

KHARTOUM – Sudanese authorities stopped the former Minister of Industry and leading member of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) Ibrahim al-Sheikh from leaving the country, pointing to a travel ban imposed by the Sovereign Council.

Al-Sheikh was among the latest political detainees to be freed on 30 November after his arrest by the coup leaders in Sudan on 25 October.

He told Al-Intibaha on Saturday evening that the Khartoum airport authorities informed him of a travel ban decision issued by the Sovereignty Council.

“I was on my way to Cairo to pay a visit to my sick sister to check on her health. They told me that I was banned from travelling and they returned my passport after the plane took off,” he said.

The leading member of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP and the FFC coalition underscored that the ban order should be issued by the Public Prosecution Office, not the Sovereign Council.

He further stressed that the constitutional document that ensures freedoms has not been suspended.

The coup leader and commander in chief of the Sudanese army on Friday said that the state of emergency imposed after the coup would be lifted at a meeting of the would-be formed Council of Ministers and the National Security and Defence Council.

In a related development, Wajdi Saleh former member of the Empowerment Removal Committee told Aljazeera on Saturday that he was interrogated during his detention over charges of inciting discontent and rebellion among the armed forces.

On 21 November, al-Burhan signed a political agreement with  Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok providing, among others to immediately free all the political detainees.