November 28, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – A group of parliamentarians representing Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP) announced their intention on Wednesday to meet President Omer Al-Bashir and request clemency for the detainees of what the authorities describe as a foiled “subversive attempt” to overthrow the government.

Salah Gosh in Sirte at the aborted Darfur peace process in November 2007 ( photo F. Noy UNMIS)

Sudanese authorities said on 22 November that they foiled an alleged coup attempt and arrested 13 military and civilian individuals behind it, including ex-spy chief Salah Gosh, Brigadier General Mohamed Ibrahim Abdel-Galil from the army (SAF), and senior military intelligence officer Major General Adil Al-Tayeb.

The spokesperson of the parliamentary group, Ahmad Al-Tayib, said that around 30 members of parliament (MPs) intend to organize a meeting with Al-Bashir in the next two days to intercede for the granting of clemency for, and securing the release of, the detainees.

Al-Tayib said that the presidency previously pardoned individuals who are more hostile to the state than the alleged plotters of the coup, adding that their move aims at “preserving the future of the country’s unity”. He further said that the public interest dictates pardoning of the detainees given their previous efforts in serving the state.

In contrast, the secretary of communication at the Sudanese Islamic Movement (SIM), Hamid Sidiq, denied that his quasi-official organization is seeking to secure the release of the detainees. “There are no attempts to mediate for the release of the detained suspects” he told Sudan’s official news agency SUNA on Wednesday.

Sidiq added that it was the government who announced the subversive attempt and is investigating with them therefore it is not plausible to seek a way to release them.

The NCP parliamentarian went on to call on the authorities to provide the public and media with more information on the progress of the investigation with the detainees.

Meanwhile, the director-general of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Mohammad Atta, briefed a meeting of NCP leaders on Wednesday about the latest information on the alleged coup attempt.

Following the meeting, NCP’s Deputy Chairman Nafie Ali Nafie told reporters that he has received all the information gathered on the attempted coup. He added that the meeting underscored the necessity of going ahead with the legal investigations.

(ST)