Sudan’s Beshir asks for state of emergency to be extended: press

KHARTOUM, Dec 23 (AFP) — President Omar al-Beshir has asked the Sudanese parliament to extend the state of emergency for another year despite growing expectations of a deal ending the civil war, a newspaper said Tuesday.

Independent Al Rai Al Aam daily said Beshir sent a message on Monday to the National Assembly asking it to agree to renewing the four-year-old state of emergency through 2004.

Though he has said peace is imminent, Beshir explained that the government and the southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement were still pursuing their negotiations in Kenya to end the 20-year civil war, the daily said.

Beshir also justified his request by saying the government was confronted with a new rebellion in the western Darfur region, the daily said.

The Sudan Liberation Movement has been waging a rebellion against the central government for neglecting the region’s economy.

Deputy Speaker Abdallah Ahmed al-Hardallu said the parliament would discuss and decide on the matter next week.

He said the Assembly “fully appreciates” the reasons for extending the state of emergency, which “is inevitable even if peace (in the south) is achieved beause peace needs to be guarded.”

The leader of the ruling National Congress Party caucus, Abbas al-Khidir said his body would rally parliamentarians in support of extending the state of emergecy.

Beshir declared the state of emergency in December 1999 after dissolving the National Assembly in a move to oust Islamist Hassan al-Turabi, a former ally turned political rival.

Opposition groups have long called for an end to the state of emergency.