Opposition members arrested ‘ in connection with coup attempt’
Ahmed Bilal Osman, Minister of Culture and Information, said that the authorities arrested two opposition members in connection to the coup attempt, sources told Radio Dabanga on Tuesday November 27. The minister explained that the task of the opposition members was to establish and maintain contact with the rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).In an interview with the official state tv channel, he claimed that their ‘sabotage attempt’ consisted of three phases; firstly to carry out sabotaging operations, secondly to assassinate government leaders and lastly to seize power by force.The minister explained that the investigations are ongoing and that the initial results will be made public at a later stage. JEM denies allegationsAt the same time, the JEM strongly denied any links to the allegations and its spokesman, Jibril Adam Bilal, told Radio Dabanga that ‘such claims are made by the government when they try to arrest any person, they accuse them of being affiliated to our movement to justify their trial or detention’.Bilal confirmed that JEM has contacts with all the national consensus forces in Khartoum, ‘whose known purpose is to overthrow the regime and change it through a popular revolution and not a military coup’. The spokesman stressed that the JEM believes the group accused of being involved in the coup attempt are divided; one part is loyal to al-Bashir and the other to Ali Osman Taha. He added that ‘they are all responsible for committing crimes in Sudan’. Bilal described the coup attempt as ‘no more than a conflict among the Islamists’. President attends briefing on investigation resultsMeanwhile, Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported that President Omar al-Bashir and the Joint Chief of Staff of the armed forces were briefed in a meeting on Monday on the preliminary results of the investigations into the coup plot.Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, the Defense Minister, said in a press statement that al-Bashir attended a briefing on the preliminary results of the investigation on the ‘sabotage attempt’, and another briefing by the joint commander of the security situation in the country, Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile in particular.Photo: Parliament in Khartoum, Radio Dabanga file photo
Ahmed Bilal Osman, Minister of Culture and Information, said that the authorities arrested two opposition members in connection to the coup attempt, sources told Radio Dabanga on Tuesday November 27.
The minister explained that the task of the opposition members was to establish and maintain contact with the rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).
In an interview with the official state tv channel, he claimed that their ‘sabotage attempt’ consisted of three phases; firstly to carry out sabotaging operations, secondly to assassinate government leaders and lastly to seize power by force.
The minister explained that the investigations are ongoing and that the initial results will be made public at a later stage.
JEM denies allegations
At the same time, the JEM strongly denied any links to the allegations and its spokesman, Jibril Adam Bilal, told Radio Dabanga that ‘such claims are made by the government when they try to arrest any person, they accuse them of being affiliated to our movement to justify their trial or detention’.
Bilal confirmed that JEM has contacts with all the national consensus forces in Khartoum, ‘whose known purpose is to overthrow the regime and change it through a popular revolution and not a military coup’.
The spokesman stressed that the JEM believes the group accused of being involved in the coup attempt are divided; one part is loyal to al-Bashir and the other to Ali Osman Taha. He added that ‘they are all responsible for committing crimes in Sudan’. Bilal described the coup attempt as ‘no more than a conflict among the Islamists’.
President attends briefing on investigation results
Meanwhile, Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported that President Omar al-Bashir and the Joint Chief of Staff of the armed forces were briefed in a meeting on Monday on the preliminary results of the investigations into the coup plot.
Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein, the Defense Minister, said in a press statement that al-Bashir attended a briefing on the preliminary results of the investigation on the ‘sabotage attempt’, and another briefing by the joint commander of the security situation in the country, Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile in particular.
Photo: Parliament in Khartoum, Radio Dabanga file photo
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