Sudanese parliament extends state of emergency for another year
KHARTOUM, Dec 29, 2003 (dpa) — Sudan’s parliament Monday overwhelmingly approved extanding the state of emergency for another year on grounds that its political and security situation remains a concern.
Seconded by 210 of the 365 Members of Parliament, the chamber justified the move on a number of grounds, including the failure of Sudanese peace talks – underway in Kenya – to reach agreement.
The war-like state in the south and the Nuba Mountains region which is still holding, in addition to the escalating insecurity situation in Darfur all put Sudan’s unity at risk, it was decided.
No immediate comments were available from the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M).
An opposition figure who requested anonymity told Deutsche Presse- Agentur, dpa that by doing so the government is preparing to carry out more detentions and arrests against the opposition, mainly in the Darfur region.
President Omer Hassan al-Bashir in December 1999 imposed the state of emergency over a power struggle with Islamist ideologist Hassan Abdalla Turabi.
Minister of Justice Mohammed Osman Yassein boasted that Sudanese prisons have freed political detainees, but Secretary General of the opposition Justice Party MP Mekki Ali Balayel told the press that a member of his party, Khairy el-Dirdiri Arbab, is being detained.
He declined to comment about where or when Arbab was arrested.