The warrant was issued on Sunday 16 August after Al Rezegy refused to hand over the property and assets of the SJU which was disbanded by the authorities earlier this year.

Among the charges against Al Rezegy, who is also President of the Federation of African Journalists, is claims that he continued to run the union and be active after it had been outlawed and that he attended meetings of the IFJ, FAJ and other international bodies representing the banned SJU.

A Police officer from Empowerment Removal Committee called Al Rezegy by phone three times on Sunday asking him to surrender himself.  He refused.

In a statement, the SJU said it rejected “these grave attacks by the Sudanese government and calls on all regional and international journalists’ unions, all human rights organizations to condemn this irrational behaviour against trade union freedom in Sudan”.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “We condemn the heavy-handed approach of the Sudanese authorities and their continued attempts to undermine union rights. We urge them to immediately rescind the arrest warrant”.