Clinton condemns recent Sudan crackdown on SPLM and northern opposition march
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- Category: International
- Published on Friday, 11 December 2009 02:17
- Written by The New Sudan Vision (NSV), www.newsudanvision.com
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The rally, which was staged by northern opposition parties and the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM), the ruling party in the south and co-signer to the CPA, was violently suppressed by the National Congress Party when it called in police and Sudan Armed Forces to disperse protesters.
SPLM secretary general Pagan Amum, his deputy Yasir Arman and Abbas Juma, also from SPLM and a state Minister in the Ministry of Interior were rounded up and locked up behind bars in Khartoum.
On Thursday, Clinton told a press briefing that her government “condemns the disruption of peaceful protest and acts of political violence committed by any party.”
“Freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, and protection from arbitrary arrest and detention are instrumental to allow for credible elections in April 2010,” she said.
Secretary Clinton also announced that she was sending her Sudan envoy, Scott Gration to the country this weekend “to help restart dialogue and resolve outstanding issues that are contributing to these rising tensions,” adding that Sudan remains “an important priority for President Obam and myself, and were are committed to seeing a peaceful democratic transformation as envisioned in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, and a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Darfur.”
