Sudan’s police say illegal weapons operation was successful
September 12, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese police said that campaigns to search for illegal weapons launched by Khartoum State’s security authorities on Tuesday 11 September have resulted in the seizure of a large number of illegal weapons from citizens.
The assistant general commander of Khartoum State’s police force, Lt-Gen Mohamed Nagib al-Tayeb said the confiscated weapons included a large number of Kalashnikovs, machine guns and revolvers in addition to large quantities of various types of ammunition and grenades.
Tayeb further said in press statements that the security plan to find and confiscate illegal weapons had been implemented by the state’s police force jointly with the area’s central military commanders and the security and intelligence organ. He said the plan was implemented successfully and in a highly professional way.
He reaffirmed that the campaign had targeted all of Khartoum State’s localities where information indicated the presence of illegal weapons. He said these security plans would continue in order for the capital to become secure and stable, and the phenomenon of illegal weapons had declined.
Further, Minister of Justice Mohamed Ali al-Mardi stressed that carrying or possessing unlicensed weapons had become one of the phenomena that terrorized citizens and showed the country to be in a state of chaos and insecurity.
While the chairman of the security and Defense committee in the federal parliament, Lt Gen. Jalal Taur Kaffi, has slammed SPLM protest against campaigns to search for illegal weapons. He described the operation as positive step. He further said the SPLM is supposed to empty its offices from weapons.
“SPLM offices are for political activities and not supposed to serve as deposit of weapons” Kaffi said.
The SPLM Secretary General for northern Sudan, Yassir Arman, yesterday denounced the police raid on its offices in Khartoum, Khartoum North and Al-Daym. Arman said that despite the fact that police commanders and other authorities knew that the SPLM is part of the ruling and security establishment, the SPLM had not been notified about the search of its office or allowed to oversee the operation.
(ST)