Sudanese DUP party official released after arrest
July 15, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Ali Mahmoud Hassanein has been released after four hours in detention. Hassanein was arrested yesterday at 6pm.
The officer in charge of DUP’s legal committee, Mouiz Hadrat, said in a pres statement that the chairman of the party Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani who is in Cairo was informed on the arrest and he said he would make contacts with the concerned authorities to know the reasons for the arrest.
Al-Mirgahi who signed a reconciliation agreement, as the chairman of the NDA, with the Sudanese government in May 2005 is still residing outside the country in spite of the participation of his party in the government of national unity. Hassanein is the leader of a group within the DUP that is opposed to any rapprochement with the ruling National Congress Party.
Hadrat said that the legal committee of the party would hold a meeting today to follow up the case, pointing out that Hassanein was arrested at his home without explaining any reasons.
Hadrat informed the daily Al-Khartoum that that the security authorities interrogated Hassanein on his financial participation in the plan, which the security apparatus is talking about subversive plot to destabilize security and instigate chaos in the country.
He said that Hassanein had denied the allegations.
On Saturday, the Sudanese authorities have arrested 17 people including opposition leader Mubarak al-Fadil and retired military officers, accusing them of trying to overthrow the government.
Al-Fadil, the chairman of the Umma Reform and Renewal party defected from the popular Umma Party led by former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi to form his own party and at one point was the presidential adviser in 2004. In recent years, however, he has distanced himself from the regime.
(ST)