Khartoum court questions S. Sudanese aligned to Darfur ex-rebels

A Khartoum North court is questioning 25 members of the Justice and Equality Movement-Peace Wing (JEM-PW) led by Bakhit Dabajo.

Defence lawyer Moaz Mohamed Ahmed said the Khartoum North court has already completed investigations with 10 accused. He expected that the other members would be summoned Wednesday for questioning.

The lawyer told Radio Tamazuj that the court proceedings are going on well and that most of the defendants testified that they joined the JEM-PW rebels before the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2005.

In September, Sudan’s State Security Prosecution accused 25 JEM-PW members of undermining the constitutional system, waging war against the state, and fighting against the army in South Kordofan and South Darfur states.

An investigator in charge of the case said the 25 defendants hail from neighbouring South Sudan.

Retrial of two pastors

Separately, the defence lawyer of the two South Sudanese pastors acquitted of espionage and other charges in Khartoum earlier this year has downplayed a court order to put them back on trial again.

Ahmed El Sibeir told Radio Tamazuj that the court procedures announced are illegal and the defendants and the defense team are not concerned about the restart of the trial again. The court set 25 November as the date to restart their trial.

The pastors returned to South Sudan after their acquittal earlier this year.

(Source: Radio Tamazuj)