Sudan arrests opposition leader
2008-05-12 08:09
Khartoum - Sudan arrested Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi and at least four top members of his party on Monday after the Khartoum attack by Darfur rebels historically linked to him, aides said.
The attack at the weekend was the first time fighting had
reached the capital in decades of conflict between the
traditionally Arab-dominated central government of Africa's
biggest country and rebels from far-flung regions.
Leaders of the Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality
Movement (JEM), which mounted the attack, were supporters of
Turabi in the past but he denies any backing for JEM.
Turabi's son said security forces arrested his father at his
home about one hour after returning from a conference of his
Popular Congress Party in nearby Sennar state.
"They want to blame the party for what has happened," said
Siddig al-Turabi. No immediate comment was available from
President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's government.
Turabi was Bashir's ideologue until they split in a power
struggle in 1999-2000 in the oil-producing nation. Since then he
has been in and out of jail but was released along with all
other political prisoners after a 2005 north-south peace deal.
Diplomatic relations with Chad cut
On Sunday, Sudan cut diplomatic relations with neighbouring
Chad, saying the attack by the rebels from the western Darfur
region had been supported by Chadian President Idriss Deby.
The rebels made a lightning advance across 600km of desert and scrub to attack Khartoum's western Omdurman suburb on Saturday in what one of their leaders called a bid for power. Officials said the last rebels fled on Sunday evening.
About 65 people were believed to have been killed.
In a television broadcast, Bashir accused JEM leader Khalil
Ibrahim, who is from the same tribe as Deby, of being behind the
attack.
Chad has denied involvement, but analysts say it may have
backed the JEM rebels to retaliate for an attack on the Chadian
capital three months ago.
Rebels in Sudan have for decades complained of neglect by
the central government.