Africa: Crackdown on Demonstrators in Sudan

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Press Statement

Victoria Nuland

Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

June 19, 2012

The United States is deeply concerned by the crackdown by the Sudanese authorities on peaceful demonstrators in Khartoum over the last three days. We call on the Government of Sudan to respect the right of its citizens to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly in order to raise their grievances.

In addition to the crackdowns on peaceful demonstrators, we are concerned that Sudanese authorities have increased pre-publication censorship of independent newspapers in recent weeks. We call on Sudan to respect freedom of expressing, including for members of the press, as guaranteed in the Interim National Constitution of 2005 and internationally recognized covenants to which the Government of Sudan is party.