Sudanese authorities released a local journalist Monday who had been held for two months for allegedly violating a government ban on coverage of dam construction in the northern part of teh country. Five other activists were released besides the journalist, news agencies hve reported.
The state-run SUNA news agency said Mujahid Abdallah had violated the prohibition against writing about the Kajbar dam in northern Sudan’s Shamalia area. Abdallah’s newspaper, the independent pro-Islamist Rae Al Shaab, confirmed the reporter’s release in its Monday edition but denied the government had legal basis for his detention, according to the Associated Press (AP).
"Security authorities have released our colleague, Mujahid Abdallah, after 60 days he spent in detention without any legal justification," the paper said in an editorial. Abdallah had written articles about journalists who had been detained for covering protests against the construction of the dam.
Both SUNA and Rae Al Shaab said officials released five others Monday who had been held for their opposition to the dam. The five were reportedly from the Shamalia area, but the news reports did not provide additional details. No reason for their detention was given and their release was conditional on signing a document whereby they agree to abide by certain conditions, namely to refrain from engaging in further political activities.
Local residents have been long complaining about the complete lack of transparency and of a participatory consultation process during the project for the dam which will have major socio-economic and environmental repercussions on local residents and livelihoods, AP said.
On June 13, a demonstration against the building of Kajbar Dam took place at Farraig village, 140 km north of Dongola. Police and security forces shot at people peacefully demonstrating against the building of the dam. Four people were killed and thirteen others were injured.
The police said they acted in self-defence. Video footage recorded of the event and posted on the Internet showed police on a hill above protestors opening fire a Reuters report said.
"They kept asking me about my relation to the people of Kajbar and I kept saying I have no relation to them - I am not from the area ... and am just doing my journalistic duty," Mujaheed Abdullah told Reuters after his release. "They told me not to write anything about this -- if I do I will be arrested again for inciting chaos," he said.
He said he was not questioned by anyone from the Justice Ministry, only national security forces. Abdullah said he was not tortured but conditions were difficult personally. "I did not see the sun except to pray for five minutes at a time and was only near the end allowed to do any kind of exercise," he said.
