Sudan: Information on the treatment of members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1991 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SDN8606 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sudan: Information on the treatment of members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 1 May 1991, SDN8606, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab4170.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The DUP was one of the chief coalition parties in the government of Sadiq el Mahdi, which was overthrown in a bloodless coup on 30 June 1989. Before the coup, the DUP had 63 seats in Sudan's legislative assembly and was the second strongest party in that body (Day 1988, 520).
According to Africa Watch, in late October 1989, nine members of the DUP, arrested after the June coup, were still in detention. They included the DUP's leader, Mohamed Osman el Mirghani (Africa Watch 27 Oct. 1989). Mirghani was subsequently released in November 1989 but immediately put under house arrest. He was later allowed to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment. Another leading DUP politician, al-Tom Mohamed al-Tom, a former government minister arrested after the June coup, was released uncharged on 12 October 1989 (Amnesty International, AI Index: AFR 54/10/90).
According to Amnesty International four DUP politicians were still in detention in Sudan on 1 December 1989 (Amnesty International, AI Index: AFR 54/23/89).
Bibliography
Africa Watch. 27 October 1989. News From Africa Watch. "Political Detainees in Sudan."
Amnesty International. (AI Index: AFR 54/10/90). "Sudan: The Military Government's First Year in Power - A Permanent Human Rights Crisis."
Amnesty International. (AI Index: AFR 54/23/89). "Sudan: Prisoners of Conscience Detained Without Trial."
Day, Alan J. 1988. Political Parties of the World. London: St. James Press.
