Sudan: 2 opposition leaders still in jail, 20 freed after over a month's detention

20 members of two Sudanese opposition members have been freed on Sunday after nearly two months of detention after protesting fuel subsidy cuts and electricity price hike.

However, the leader of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP), Omer al-Digair and his deputy Khaled Omer Youssef are still being detained by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).

Spokesperson of the party, Mohamed Hassan Arabi, confirmed the release and continued detention of the two leaders in a statement released on Sunday and cited by local media Sudan Tribune.

The second opposition party, Future Forces For Changes (FFC), also confirmed the release of four of its members arrested on November 8.

The Sudanese government’s announcement in November of an increase in fuel and electricity prices due to a sharp fall of the Sudanese pound followed protests and strikes in the capital Khartoum.

In late November, police fired teargas at about 300 protesters in Khartoum after several opposition groups and activists called for a three day nationwide strike over the soaring costs of basic commodities.

President Omar al-Bashir had warned that his regime will not be overthrown by social media activists after the opposition and activists in the country issued a fresh call to hold a two-day nationwide strike in December.