Press Release: Omar Al-bashir Arrests Prominent Sudanese Politicians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 7, 2009 CONTACTS: Andrea Clarke [email protected] 202.460.6756 Cell

Omar al-Bashir arrests prominent Sudanese politicians Obama administration must condemn crackdown on peaceful protest in Khartoum (Washington D.C. – December 7, 2009) This morning the Sudanese police shut down a rally in Khartoum sponsored by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and northern opposition parties and arrested a number of high profile leaders and other activists. The rally was organized to demand that the Sudanese parliament change laws that restrict basic political freedoms. Today’s acts by the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) reveal the Omar al-Bashir-led government’s intolerance for freedom of speech and freedom of association in Sudan. The Save Darfur Coalition calls upon the Obama administration to condemn strongly the behavior of the Sudanese government, which clearly demonstrates the emptiness of their promises to hold free and fair elections in April 2010. Jerry Fowler, President of the Save Darfur Coalition, said, “The demonstrators were rallying peacefully to change laws in Sudan that currently prohibit them from speaking freely and expressing their opposition to the Bashir regime. The government’s thuggish response demonstrates why that change is necessary. The Obama administration has said little about the political environment necessary for free and fair elections in Sudan – choosing to focus on the technicalities of the process rather than the ongoing repressive environment in Sudan. These events make clear that, for all its rhetoric over the last few months, the Bashir government will not tolerate peaceful dissent in Sudan nor is it willing to create the conditions necessary for credible elections in April.” ### About Save Darfur Coalition: The Save Darfur Coalition – an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations – raises public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of people throughout the Darfur region. The coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur. For more information on the coalition, please visit www.SaveDarfur.org.