/ 3 October 2001

ISLAMIC OPPONENTS ARRESTED IN SUDAN

MORE than 35 leading officials and supporters of the opposition Popular National Congress (PNC) were arrested on Tuesday as the Islamic party tried to organise a press conference, a PNC official said. Beshir Adam Rahma said that the arrests were made in front of the PNC headquarters in Khartoum’s Al-Riyadh district. Those arrested included PNC acting secretary general Abdallah Hassan Ahmed and Ibrahim al-Sanousi who returned from London only two days ago. The crackdown came one day after Sudan’s President Omar al-Beshir suspended legal action against a group of opposition leaders tied to an alleged US-backed plot as well as against PNC chief Hassan al-Turabi. – AFP