Walaa Isam Elboushi | |
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ولاء عصام البوشي | |
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| Minister of Youth and Sports[1] | |
| Assumed office September 2019[1] | |
| Prime Minister | Abdalla Hamdok |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1986 (age 39–40) Wad Madani, Sudan |
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Walaa Issam ElBoushi[2][3] (also:Wala'a,Walla,Isam, Essam,al-Bushi, al-Boushi,el-Boushi;[1][4][5]Arabic:ولاء عصام البوشي) is aSudanese activist who became theSudanese Minister of Youth and Sport in early September 2019 in the TransitionalCabinet of Prime MinisterAbdalla Hamdok, during the2019 Sudanese transition to democracy.[1]
Al-Boushi was born in 1986 inWad Madani. She has a Master's degree in Advanced Engineering Mechanics from theImperial College London.[citation needed]
Al-Boushi wasinvolved in anti-government activism in Sudan during the presidency ofOmar al-Bashir, who was overthrown in theApril 2019 Sudanese coup d'état.[6]
In early September 2019, al-Boushi became the Sudanese Minister of Youth and Sport in the TransitionalCabinet of Prime MinisterAbdalla Hamdok, during the2019 Sudanese transition to democracy.[1] Other women leaders of Sudan during the transitional period includeChief JusticeNemat Abdullah Khair, andSovereignty Council membersAisha Musa el-Said andRaja Nicola. Al-Boushi described her nomination as being to the "Ministry of the Revolution". She expressed her enthusiasm for the position, stating,
The era of darkness is over, and we are entering a new era achieved by the efforts of youth and sacrifices, and will continue and will be led by young people, through this ministry to make the next history, to be the first democratic government elected after the transition period, majority of young people.
— Wala'a Essam al-Boushi, as quoted byKhartoum Star[2]
On 30 September 2019, a21-team women's football league was launched under al-Boushi's ministership, with both al-Boushi andAisha Musa present at the match between the Eltahadi and Eldifaa teams, refereed by female umpires.[7]
An Islamist preacher and supporter of former presidentOmar al-Bashir, Abdal Hai Youssef, accused al-Boushi ofblasphemy andapostasy for having re-introduced women's football to Sudan.[8][9] Under Article 126.2 of the 1991 version of the Sudanese Penal Code,apostasy is punishable by the death sentence if the accused does not repent.[10] Al-Boushi lodged an official complaint against Youssef. Information MinisterFaisal Saleh stated that Youssef's comments constituted an attack against women's rights and said that the Sudanese cabinet requested the Ministry of Justice to take "the necessary legal measures" against Youssef.[8][9]
