Sudan Country Profile
Police
Individual Corruption
Police corruption is reported to be common in all parts of Sudan, according to the US Department of State 2009. Police officers are poorly paid, and many demand bribes in order to supplement their income. Abuse of power and unlawful and arbitrary arrests are not uncommon. For example, the US Department of State 2009 reports that police officers often carry out searches without warrants, in areas with internally displaced people (IDP), in search for brewing of illegal alcohol, and confiscate goods that are unrelated to brewing. It is also reported that police officers extort bribes from illegal alcohol brewers by intimidating them with prison terms. According to the same source, when citizens have attempted to complain about police abuse, they have often faced retaliation, and police officers are usually not held accountable for their misconduct.
Business Corruption
Companies should be aware that the police have a reputation of being corrupt. According to the US Department of State 2009, there are reports of businesspeople being detained without due process for having failed to pay back loans to Sudanese banks. The police in Sudan do not need a warrant to make arrests. Although the Interim National Constitution stipulates that citizens should be informed about the charges when arrested, arrests are frequently made without charges. According to law, the Sudanese authorities have the right to detain individuals for 3 days without charge with the possibility of extending it. In practice, indefinite detentions are frequent.
Political Corruption
According to Global Integrity 2006, law enforcement agencies are poorly protected from political interference, and most appointments within the police tend to be politically or religiously motivated rather than based on professional criteria. Furthermore, the Heritage Foundation 2011 reports that bribery of the police is a concern in Sudan.
