Al-Turabi receives released PCP prisoners, vows “elimination of oppression”
March 23, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – Hassan Al-Turabi, the Islamist leader of Sudan’s opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP), joyfully received six of his party members on Friday, who were released from prison after serving a ten-year sentence in connection with an alleged coup attempt.
The veteran Islamist was the mastermind of the coup that brought President Omer Al-Bashir to power in 1989. The two men, however, fell out and Al-Turabi was ousted from his powerful position as parliamentary speaker. He later formed the PCP and became the government’s fiercest critic.
Al-Bashir threatened in the wake of the alleged sabotage attempt to behead Al-Turabi and vowed that the PCP would not be allowed to work unless it apologises.
Al-Turabi flocked with many of his supporters to meet the prisoners shortly after they were released. In statements following the meeting, Al-Turabi likened their ordeal to the Quranic story of Joseph who was betrayed by his brothers.
He went on to call on Sudanese citizens to prepare for a popular uprising and “elimination of oppression” similar to what previously occurred in Sudan and more recently in other Arab countries.
The representative of the released prisoners, Osman Ali, stressed that they would remain faithful to the principles for which they were incarcerated. He further expressed regret over the current situation in Sudan, saying they had come out of prison to find the country split in two and steeped in conflicts in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
“We will work hard to redress injustice” he concluded.
(ST)