When a Passport Becomes a Political Weapon

This article addresses the issue of the politicization of the Sudanese passport and its transformation from a neutral legal document into a tool of political exclusion and discrimination. Amid the ongoing war and institutional fragmentation, many citizens and political figures have been denied the issuance or renewal of their passports for non-legal reasons, turning the passport into a means of punishing opponents or silencing independent voices. The article highlights that such practices not only violate individual rights but also undermine the very principle of citizenship and the universal right to freedom of movement and dignity, as guaranteed by international conventions and the Sudanese constitutional framework. Denying a citizen access to their passport effectively means denying their identity and civil and political rights. The importance of this article lies in exposing how administrative tools of the state are being weaponized for political control, while emphasizing the urgent need to neutralize official documents and ensure equal access to them without discrimination. It calls for reforming the laws and administrative practices governing passport issuance, restoring it to its rightful status as a citizenship right rather than a political privilege. At its core, the article seeks to broaden the concept of citizenship in Sudan to include all individuals equally, affirming that safeguarding basic rights—such as the right to hold a passport—is the first step toward building a democratic and just state that respects the dignity of all its citizens.