The President of the Coordination Council for Professionals Unions, Al Waseela Hassan Manofali, said he lodged a complaint to the Business Associations Registrar against the Sudanese Professionals Association and hinted that the Council for Professionals Union might file suit against the Sudanese Professionals Association in case of sustained damage. Speaking at a press conference in SUNA premises on Tuesday 5 February, Al Waseela said: “according to law we are a legitimate body registered with the Business Associations Registrar, and now we are lodging this complaint because other entities emerged and claimed to represent the professionals”.

According to Al Jareeda page on the Facebook, the president of the Council for Professionals Union considers the Sudanese Professionals Association an illegitimate entity, saying its call for work strikes contravene systems, laws, and constitutions. He said: “Any demands should be submitted through the recognized official channels, whosoever responds to calls for a strike will bear his responsibility individually”, and threatened the doctors who had participated in the strike of disciplinary measures because their participation is politically not professionally motivated.

The Sudanese Professionals Association is a trade union entity but not registered with the Registrar of Associations; it was unofficially established by representatives of different trade unions and professional associations, it came into existence after a committee representing it submitted demands for enhanced wages. After this government came to power through a military coup in June 1989, it had dissolved all trade unions and formed new ones; it did not rely on professional unions as a basis for formation, rather it relied on facility’s trade union which may comprise more than a profession. The Sudanese Professionals Association is not registered with any governmental body, including the Registrar of Professional Associations. Sudan is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Para I of Article 22 states: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

The Sudanese Professionals Association has called for peaceful demonstrations, after entering into a political alliance with other opposition political forces, with demonstrations organized almost daily, demanding President Al Bashir to step down.

Source: Aljareeda