Sudan rebels say Khartoum’s lying about coup to ward off Darfur pressure

NAIROBI, Sept 25 (AFP) — Sudan’s main rebel group on Saturday accused Khartoum of lying about an alleged coup attempt in order to ward off foreign pressure over its failure to pacify the war-torn western provinces of Darfur.

Sudan’s military-backed government imposed a security clampdown after announcing on Friday that it had foiled a coup attempt by supporters of its now jailed former Islamist ally Hassan al-Turabi.

“It is all made up to divert international attention and pressure it (Sudanese government) is getting over Darfur conflict and other related issues,” Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) spokesman Samson Kwaje told AFP in Nairobi.

“I dont think the said coup attempt is true. It is made up also to implicate Turabi and other people seen as enemies of the (Islamic) regime,” Kwaje added.

Khartoum and the SPLM/A are engaged in peace talks in neighbouring Kenya aimed at ending 21 years of conflict, which erupted in 1983 and has killed at least 1.5 million people and displaced four million others.

Another war in Darfur has raged since February 2003 and Khartoum has failed to meet its pledges to the United Nations to end the conflict that has claimed at least 50,000 people and displaced another 1.4 million.

Sudan’s interior ministry announced Friday that security and intelligence agencies had foiled an attempt by members of Turabi’s Popular Congress party to overthrow the regime, hours before they carried it out.

A statement said Islamists led by Youssef, the party’s communications secretary, had planned to execute the conspiracy in Khartoum at 2:00 pm (1100 GMT) following the main weekly Muslim prayers.

The coup plotters chose the time in the knowledge that senior government and military officials would be praying at mosques, the state Sudan News Agency quoted an intelligence official it did not identify as saying.

Nearly all those involved were arrested, except Youssef, the interior ministry said.