Sudanese forces conduct security exercises in Khartoum state

July 3, 2008 ‘KHARTOUM) — Sudanese authorities conducted a military exercise where armed forces from different corps were deployed in the suburbs of the Sudanese capital, amid reports about rebel preparations for a new attack against Khartoum.

The Sudanese army, security and intelligence forces and the police conducted joint security maneuvering exercises in Karari, Umbada and Omdurman, to protect the capital against attacks similar to what the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) carried last May.

The head of the Sudanese police, Gen. Mohamed Najib al-Tayeb and the chief of security and intelligence, Gen. Salah Gosh inspected the different positions where the security exercises were conducted.

The head of the security service had been harshly criticized by the army and the police for withholding information and his lack of coordination with the other military corps during the rebel raid on the capital last May.

JEM leader stated following the foiled attack that he would continue to target the central government in Khartoum because there was no resolution to Darfur conflict “without the removal of this regime.”

A reliable French language news website, Tchad Actuel, reported that the leader of the rebel JEM, Khalil Ibrahim, works seriously to prepare a new attack against the Sudanese capital.

“The first attack on Khartoum revealed the military weaknesses of the government in the capital and JEM officials are increasingly convinced that with a good military preparedness, they could remove the Sudanese regime,” the Tchad Actuel said.

Different rebel groups discuss currently, under the sponsorship of the Chadian president a project to reunite their efforts against the Sudanese government. Some officials in the rebel SLM- Unity say favorable to fight the Sudanese government in Khartoum.

(ST)