Law enforcement in Sudan

[1] Instead, the government gave tribal leaders authority to maintain order among their people and to enlist a limited number of “retainers” to help them in law-enforcement duties.

[1] The Sudan Police College opened in Khartoum in 1937 to train all policemen and administrators in a one- or two-year course.

[1] The police officers then staged a demonstration that resulted in the dismissal of the ringleaders, who refused an order to return to barracks.

[1] The SPF and army worked together from 1965 to 1969 to quell the unrest caused by the rebellion in the Southern provinces.

[1] In 1977 four women completed the two year course at the Sudan Police College and became the first females to join the ranks.

[1] A limited number of women served in the SPF and generally worked in administrative sections, on juvenile delinquency matters, or criminal cases that involved female Sudanese witnesses or defendants.

[1] This arrangement proved unwieldy, however, and the Police Act of 1979 instituted a unified command in which the head of the force reported to the president.

[1] The UPF was responsible for passport control, immigration, and customs at border-crossing points, although the SAF and the PDF might also undertake border-control duties.

[1] The institution provided theoretical and practical instruction and served as a training school for military personnel who required police skills in their assignments.

[1] In addition to recruit training, the college offered courses in criminal law, general police duties, fingerprinting, clerical work, photography, and the use of small arms.

[1] During the 1990s and early 2000s, public-order campaigns in Khartoum often resulted in roundups of thousands of people, who were then charged with illegal street vending or loitering.

[1] In urban areas, police abused refugees, particularly Southerners, by stealing from them or beating them for minor infractions.

[1] Partly as a result of such actions, the al-Bashir government earned a reputation for poor treatment of prisoners.