The Committee For Justice has expressed its unequivocal rejection of the continued detention of trade union activist Abdel Wahab Ahmed Hashim, known as Abdel Wahab Bob, President of the Trade Union Federation of Workers in North Kordofan State. He was apprehended by the General Intelligence Service in the city of El-Obeid without any formal charges being brought against him to date.
The Committee For Justice affirmed that Bob’s arrest was triggered by his legitimate demands for the payment of salaries and entitlements of workers, particularly accountants — demands that fall squarely within the scope of trade union activity protected under national laws and international conventions, most notably ILO Conventions No. 87 and 98 concerning freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
The Committee For Justice considers this arrest a blatant violation of trade union rights and freedoms, and a dangerous indication of escalating repression against free voices advocating for improved living conditions for workers — at a time when Sudan is grappling with a severe economic crisis caused by the ongoing war since April 2023.
The Committee For Justice calls for the immediate and unconditional release of union leader Abdel Wahab Bob, the full and prompt disbursement of workers’ entitlements, an end to arbitrary arrests and security persecution targeting unionists and workers, and the guarantee of freedom of association and independent trade union activity in accordance with international standards.
