‘Sudan treated 260 extremists through counselling’: paper

Sudan has treated 260 Islamic extremists through counselling and dialogue, according to a paper presented at the Arab Media Forum on Terrorism, held in the Sudanese capital on Thursday and Friday.

The forum on the role of the media to combat terrorism was jointly organised by the Arab League and the Sudanese Ministry of Information.

The participants discussed three working papers, on the role of the religious discourse in combating terrorism, national efforts in combating terrorism, and the development of a joint Arab strategy for combating extremism and terrorism.

Regarding the efforts of Sudan in fighting terrorism, the paper revealed that, until January this year, 82 former Guantanamo detainees successfully reintegrated into the Sudanese society. Another 113 extremists have been treated outside the prison, while 20 are being treated through dialogue in their prison cells.

Khartoum Declaration

The Arab forum on the role of media in fighting terrorism issued a declaration, the Khartoum Declaration, on Friday,” Xinhuanet reported on Saturday.

The declaration emphasises the need to disseminate Islamic values, and include materials in the educational curricula focusing on tolerance, justice, and peace, and the renunciation of violence.

The participants of the forum directed the Arab media to highlight the tolerance of the Islamic religion, urging the member states to work to establish centres for the training of Imams and preachers “to correct the religious discourse in a manner that suits the spirit of the time”.

The declaration further urged the Arab countries to focus on the development of its youths, and exert more efforts to enhance employment opportunities, lessen the poverty levels, and achieve social justice and equality.

President Omar Al Bashir, who attended the forum's concluding session, reiterated Sudan's commitment to work with its Arab and African surroundings to confront terrorism. “Sudan, at regional and international levels, will never hesitate to contribute with whatever it has to combat the terrorism phenomenon,” he said.