Al-Turabi thinks government to arrest him again

By Sudanese opposition Democratic Unionist Party web site

KHARTOUM, Dec 19, 2003 — The leader of the [opposition] Popular National Congress [PNC], Hasan Abdallah al-Turabi, has said the government is thinking of arresting him again, two months after his release in October.

Sudanese authorities have been leading a massive campaign against PNC elements, and yesterday they broke into the PNC HQs, arresting tens of them and accusing them of supporting the rebel movement in the Darfur [western Sudan] states through financial and intellectual support.

Meanwhile, the government issued a travel warning in Northern and Southern Darfur States, due to “persistent security problems”, according to a statement issued there.

Al-Turabi said what he was fearing most was not his arrest only, but more than that “betrayal” and physical elimination.

He said he had gathered important information from the ruling National Congress, to the effect that [the government] was thinking of arresting him and PNC leaders and putting an end to PNC activities. He added they were trying to hold trials among them.

Al-Turabi did not rule out their “betrayal”, pointing out that government organs might go further and eliminate them physically.

For his part, the PNC press officer, Al-Mahjub Abd al-Salam, stressed that the Sudanese authorities had arrested six PNC leaders in Khartoum and tens in Al-Fashir [western Sudan] and other towns in Darfur [western Sudan].

BBC Monitoring Newsfile