Sudanese Writers Union

The Sudanese Writers Union was founded in 1985 in Khartoum, the year that democracy was restored in Sudan for a short period. It promotes dialogue and seeks solutions for the conflicts in Sudan. It emphasizes freedom of expression within a multicultural society and tries to bring together writers of different cultural groups. The first secretary-general until 1986 was Ali El-Maak.[1]

History and political repression

Four years after the foundation, in 1989, a coup d'état took place and the union was banned and expelled from the historic building in Khartoum. Members of the union were teased, arrested and tortured. It took until shortly after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005/06 that the union could be revived again. A year later, in 2007, the union numbered 50 members again, in Sudan as well as in exile. Altogether it lasted twenty years until the organization was able in 2009 to reopen a settlement in the capital of Sudan. The same year the union claimed back its building in Khartoum.[2]

In 2007, the Sudanese Writers Union was honored with a Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands. The jury presented the award under the theme Culture and Conflict and appraised the work of the union, because its members "are working against huge odds to provide a Space of Freedom for debate."[3]

On 29 January 2015, the Sudanese Writers Union was dissolved again and its cultural activities banned by the Ministry of Culture of the government of Omar al-Bashir.[4] At the end of 2016, an administrative court of appeal in Khartoum annulled the Ministry’s decision and ordered the security apparatus to return the Union’s property, as well as to allow them to resume their activities.[5]

See also

References
  1. Elias Fath El Rahman. (2007) The Sudanese Writers Union. Building Democracy and Public Intellectual Culture. In Prince Claus Fund Awards 2007. The Hague, p. 90–91. ISBN 978-90-76162-11-9
  2. Miraya (August 17, 2009) Sudanese Writers Union launches a new House after 20 years
  3. Prince Claus Fund Awards 2007. The Hague. p. 8 ISBN 978-90-76162-11-9
  4. Lynx Qualey, Marcia (2015-02-02). "Sudanese Writers Union Responds to Government Shutdown". ArabLit & ArabLit Quarterly. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  5. "Sudanese Writers Union celebrates return with cultural festival". Radio Dabanga. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
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