Sudan’s opposition leader Al-Turabi to be released soon, paper reports
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April 24, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Islamist opposition leader, Hassan
Al-Turabi, will be released from detention imminently and allowed to
travel abroad for medical treatment, a local Sudanese daily has
reported, quoting “authorized” government sources.
JPEG - 12.6 kb
Sudanese Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi (GETTY IMAGES)
The privately owned daily newspaper Al-Akhabr reported on Sunday,
citing anonymous government sources, that the release of Al-Turabi had
become a “matter of time” and that he would be allowed to travel
abroad for medical treatment as demanded by his family after he was
hospitalized earlier this month as a result of injuries he sustained
when he accidently fell to the ground whilst in detention at Kober
Prison in Khartoum.
Al-Akhbar said that the sources had expressed confidence that
Al-Turabi poses no danger or threat to the government, and that he
would be given permission to travel abroad to receive medical
treatment.
The 79-year old veteran Islamist was arrested in mid-January for the
sixth time since he was ousted from power following the 1999’s schism
in the National Islamic Front, which saw it split between Al-Turabi’s
supporters under the Popular Congress Party (PCP) and those of
President Al-Bashir and other fellow Islamists under the ruling
National Congress Party (NCP).
Al-Turabi’s arrest this time followed his warnings that the government
of President Al-Bashir could face a popular uprising similar to the
ones currently seen in some Arab countries if it continues to resist
calls for reforms.
Meanwhile, the NCP’s vice-president Mandor Al-Mahdi on Saturday held a
press conference in which he said that Al-Turabi should either be
released or tried despite his conviction that his arrest was a
“security issue.”
“Our opinion, however, is that anyone who served the legal detention
period should be either brought to a trial or released,” Mandor said.
But his statement contrast sharply with that of the NCP’s
vice-president Nafi Ali Nafi who denied, in an interview with Sudan
radio on Friday, the existence of any calls within his party for
Al-Turabi’s release.
“Everyone knows that we don’t arrest a person for nothing, the
decision to bring Al-Turabi to a trial is up to the competent
authorities and prosecution” Nafi said, stoking speculations that the
NCP’s leadership is exhibiting signs of discord.
Al-Turabi’s wife Wisal Al-Mahdi said in a phone interview with Sudan
Tribune earlier this month that Nafi, who is considered one of the
NCP’s hardliners, was behind the continuation of her husband’s ordeal
in detention.
"[Sudanese President Omer Hassan] Al-Bashir was going to let him go
because of the law but Nafie [Ali Nafie the presidential assistant]
convinced him not to because this may cause people to take the streets
and overthrow the government in light of political changes in the
region," Wisal said.
Wisal said that the authorities were keeping her husband under arrest
because they fear his ability to incite a popular uprising.
The PCP’s political secretary, Kamal Omar, told Sudan Tribune this
month that the party would not resort to dialogue with the NCP for the
sake of freeing Al-Turabi or allowing him to travel abroad, stressing
that his party remains committed to its policy of seeking
regime-change.
(ST)
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