Yousif Ali Abdelkarim Yousif

President of SWTUF and Vice-President of OATUU denied exit from country

The Sudanese transitional government led by Dr. Abdellah Hamdouk is gearing up for more repressive action against the Sudan Workers’ Trade Union Federation (SWTUF). Following his arbitrary decision to dissolve this organization and freeze its assets, violating all relevant international conventions, Dr. Hamdouk has organized groups of individuals to hamper the meetings of SWTUF trade union activists and called in the police to force them to evacuate the premises by force. 

In this pursuit of anti-unionism, this time it is Brother Yousif Abdelkarim Yousif, President of the SWTUF and Vice-President of the Organization of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU) who has been targeted. Recently, after receiving an invitation from the Arab Labor Organization (ALO) to attend the work of its 47th session scheduled from 30 March to 6 April 2020 in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, as a member of the Committee on Trade Union Freedoms, the Interior Ministry informed him about his ban, preventing him from leaving the country without any reason.

This decision clearly demonstrates the determination of the Transitional Government in Sudan to shut down the free trade union field and to tailor it to its needs. Moreover, a solidarity movement with the workers and trade unions in Sudan is being set up to ensure respect for trade union freedoms and fundamental rights at work.