Sudanese president renews detention of Islamic opposition leader

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Aug 19, 2003 (AP) — President Omar el-Bashir has renewed the detention of prominent opposition leader Hassan Turabi for another six months, a Sudanese news agency reported Tuesday.

Turabi’s son, Sediq, said the family learned about the detention from the private Sudan Media Center.

Turabi was detained Feb. 21, 2001, a day after announcing his party had signed a peace deal with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, the main rebel group that has been fighting the government since 1983 for greater autonomy for the largely animist and Christian south. He was placed under house arrest three months later.

Turabi, who is in his 70s and in poor health, was el-Bashir’s staunchest ally before the two had a fallout in 1999. El-Bashir accused Turabi of trying to grab power and dissolved the parliament, stripping Turabi of his position as its speaker

Earlier this month the government released 32 political prisoners 13 members of Turabi’s Popular National Congress.