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Bashir Pardons Sudan Security Agents over Coup
[An Nahar] President Omar al-Bashir Head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi and eventually appointed himself president-for-life. He has fallen out with his Islamic mentor, Hasan al-Turabi, tried to impose shariah on the Christian and animist south, resulting in its secessesion, and attempted to ArabizeDarfur by unleashing the barbaric Janjaweed on it. Sudan's potential prosperity has been pissed away in warfare that has left as many as 400,000 people dead and 2.5 million displaced. Omar has been indicted for genocide by the International Criminal Court but nothing is expected to come of it. has pardoned six members of Sudan's powerful security service just days after they were tossed in the slammer Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'! over a coup attempt last year, state-linked media said on Tuesday. Several army officers convicted this month for the same plot have also been released under a presidential pardon. The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) members received similar treatment "according to a request of amnesty they presented to the presidency," said the Sudanese Media Center, which is close to the security apparatus. Analysts say the case reflects a political struggle within the 24-year government of Bashir, who himself took power in a coup. Officials have never revealed more than vague details about the plot which analysts said was linked to hardcore Islamist officers who had once firmly backed the regime. NISS said last Thursday that a special court convicted the security agents for various prison terms up to eight years. They had "participated in the plot" last November, it said. Salah Gosh, who headed the NISS until 2009, was also incarcerated Drop the rod and step away witcher hands up! in the case but has not been tried. His family says he filed a case with Sudan's Constitutional Court alleging he has been illegally held in jug. A military court on April 7 issued prison sentences ranging from two to five years for the army officers convicted of "attempting to undermine the constitutional and security system", threatening national unity and harming the armed forces. The army originally said 11 military men were convicted but one of their defense lawyers gave the total as nine. Sudan has been through at least seven coups or attempted coups in its 57 years of independence. Posted by: Fred 2013-05-01 |
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