U.S. condemns release of Sudanese who masterminded escape of USAID killers
April 7U.S. Embassy in Khartoum Thursday condemned the release of Qusai al-Jaili who organized the escape of four men sentenced to death for the murder of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) employees John Granville and Abdel Rahman Abbas Rahama on 2008.
”The United States notes with concern the April 5 early release of Qusai al-Jaili,” said the Embassy in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune on Thursday, pointing that fugitives and their associates have killed Granville, Rahama and a policeman who was shot dead during the escape.
“We urge the Government of Sudan, not only to fulfil its previous assurances to hold accountable those involved, but to take all necessary steps to ensure that the murderers, and those who assisted them, will not conduct further acts of violence and terrorism against innocent people,” further said the Embassy.
The statement said the three victims were murdered while working for peace and stability in Sudan, and ”we honour their memory and their families”.
Al-Jailli who spent six years in jail was serving a 12-year prison term.
The four killers of Grandville and Rahama were sentenced to death by hanging in 2009 but they managed to escape with the support of the two men in 2010.
The Sudanese police managed to arrest Abdel-Ra’uf Abu-Zaid Mohamed Hamza. who is still waiting his execution in Kober Prsion.
The other three reached Somalia where they joined al-Qaeda linked group of al-Shabab. Two of them were killed in Somalia.
The fourth, Abdel-Basit Haj al-Hassan, Mohannad Osman Youssef is still at large.
Washington has offered a cash reward of 5 million dollars for information leading to his arrest . He is also designated under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism.
(ST)