August 15, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The head of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Mohammed Atta, ordered on Wednesday the release of 80 detainees arrested over “recent sabotage activities” but opposition groups are highly skeptical in reacting to the news.

FILE PHOTO - Supporters from Sudan’s main opposition parties sign documents requesting for democratic alternatives to the one-party rule at the Democratic Unity Party headquarters in Omdurman July 4, 2012 (REUTERS)

Sudan arrested hundreds of activists and anti-regime protesters during weeks of Arab Spring-style demonstrations against price rises since the government moved in mid-June to implement austerity measures that partially ended fuel subsidies.

Local NGOs put the number of detainees at 2000 but Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint press release on 11 July that at least 100 people were arrested in Khartoum.

“Acting on directives by the president of the republic to release all those detained in connection with recent sabotage activities, NISS director-general issued a resolution to this effect releasing 80 detainees” said the resolution which Sudan Tribune seen a copy of.

The resolution states that the decision was made “despite the existence of many evidences and proofs that the detainees were involved in inciting hatred against the state, undermining security and public safety, aggressing upon public and private properties”

“All of this” the resolution added “rendered them in violation of article 23 from the transitional constitution which obliges all citizens to renounce violence and seek power transition through elections and nothing else”

Atta’s resolution does not mention the names or political affiliations of the 80 detainees ordered to be released but the Islamist opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP) has confirmed that 20 of its detainees have been released but the high profile ones have not been.

PCP’s leading member Abu Bakir Abdel Raziq told the Khartoum-based Al-Sahafah newspaper on Wednesday that 20 out of his party’s 70 detainees had been released.

However, he added that the release order did not extend to the party’s political secretary Kamal Omer, the party’s secretary-general in Al-Qadarif State as well as top members and heads of offices at the party’s student branch.

“We have confirmed that the party’s top members including Kamal Omer have not been released” Abdel Raziq said.

Similarly, the senior member of the Baath Party, Wagdi Salih, told Al-Sahafah that the release process did not include high-profile members of the opposition coalition National Consensus Forces (NCF), the most notable of which are Mohammed Diaa Al-Din and Sati Al-Haj.

Furthermore, a member of the National Umma Party (NUP) said that up to this moment the authorities failed to release the party’s information technology secretary, Mohammed Fol, among others.

“There is no information on their release and we don’t expect that” the anonymous party source told Al-Sahafah.

The anti-government youth group Girifna recently reported that some of the detainees have been released but say that many more are still in detention.

Earlier this week, security authorities re-arrested Girfina activist Rudwan Dawood after a judge ordered him to be released following his trial on terrorism-related charges.

(ST)