Sudanese intelligence agency denies banning government officials from travel

Sudan’s intelligence agency on Wednesday denied recent media reports that it had banned government officials from travelling abroad.

“The intelligence service denies what some media forums have said regarding the banning of state officials from travel,” the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported the General Intelligence Service as saying in a statement.

“The service reiterates that it is working according to its tasks and duties specified by the [Interim] Constitutional Declaration, and emphasises that [banning officials from travel] is not one of its functions,” the statement read.

However, the statement did not say whether any other state body had banned the government officials from travelling.

On Wednesday, the Sudan Tribune news website reported that Salah Manna, a member of the government’s committee for “dismantling” the previous regime of President Omar al-Bashir, was prevented from travelling to Cairo from Khartoum Airport, though he was later permitted to board a flight.

Sudanese media sources earlier reported that eleven government officials had been banned from travel amid tensions between Sudan’s acting head of state, General Abdel Fattah Burhan, who leads the Sovereignty Council, and Prime Minister Abdulla Hamdok.

Previous reports said that the government had sent the intelligence agency a strongly-worded letter of protest regarding the alleged ban.

Relations between Hamdok and Burhan deteriorated in the aftermath of an attempted military coup last month, which was blamed on army elements loyal to former dictator al-Bashir, who was overthrown in 2019 following mass protests.

On Monday, Burhan said during a speech that Hamdok’s government had to resign in order for Sudan to resolve its current economic crisis.