Port Sudan, December 18 (Darfur24)
Sudan’s Sovereignty Council Chairman and Army Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Wednesday ordered the removal of legal and administrative restrictions preventing citizens from obtaining passports and national identity documents.
Al Burhan directed the Ministries of Justice and Interior, along with the Public Prosecution, to implement the order.
He stressed that the existence of criminal reports against individuals should not be used as grounds to deny them passports or national identity cards.
Previous criminal charges and ministerial decisions targeting members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) or those accused of collaborating with them have prevented some citizens from obtaining passports or national identification numbers, drawing criticism from human rights and political groups.
The remarks were made during the inauguration of the Lieutenant General (Legal Officer) Khalid Hassan Mohi El-Din Center for issuing official documents, attended by the Ministers of Interior, Finance, and Justice, along with senior executive and security officials.
“We do not want any Sudanese citizen to be deprived of identification documents,” Al-Burhan said. “The existence of a criminal report does not prevent a person from obtaining a passport or national identity card.”
He added that relevant authorities must complete any required procedures through legal channels, including amending internal regulations or laws if necessary, stressing that the right to obtain official documents cannot be suspended by administrative measures.