Bashir fires officials in areas exposed to rebel attacks in Darfour
Sudan, Politics, 5/10/2003

The Sudanese governmental TV said that SudanÕs President Omar Hassan al-Bashir made major changes in the local governments in Darfour,in west Sudan, as a result of what relates to the attacks recently launched by the rebels against that area.

The TV said that Bashir issued a presidential decree on Thursday in which he fired the governor of the northern Darfour province General Ibrahim Suleiman and the governor of Western Darfour Omar Haroun. Al-Bashir also fired several high ranking security officials in al-Fasher, the capital of Northern Darfour.

Al-Bashir also fired the local military leader and the director of the security unit and the police director in al-Fasher following the attack that took place in April against the city during which scores of soldiers and civilians were killed or wounded, military warplanes were destroyed and an airforce general was kidnapped.

Bashir also ordered the desolving of a security committee he had formed in 2002 with the aim of preserving security and order in Darfour area, chaired by Northern Darfour governor, according to the TV.

According to the presidential decrees which were also broadcast by the Sudanese official news agency, Maj. Gen. Suleiman Abdullah Adam was appointed as a governor for western Darfour area and Othman Muhammad Youssef as a governor for Northern Darfour province.

The Sudanese defense minister Bakri Hassan Saleh said before the parliament that "the outlaws in the liberation army in Sudan killed 75 members of the government's forces and arrested other 30 in the attack which took place on April 25th."

The government of Bashir refused to admit any political motivation for the unrest which took place in the provinces of north, south and west Darfour and attributed these to the "criminal armed gangs and the outlaws" which said to have had received aid from tribes in neighboring Chad. The Sudanese authorities accused the southern rebels (SPLA) of Sudan of supporting the rebels in Darfour area.

Worthy mentioning that the rebels in Darfour who emerged in February this year under the name of Darfour liberation front is not taking part in the peace talks which aim at ending the Sudanese civil war between the government and southern rebels (SPLA).

The Darfour liberation army announced no connection with the southern rebels, but it called in the mid of March for "an understanding " with the opposition forces which fight the Islamist government in Khartoum.

Previous Stories:
  AL delegation visits Garang; Khartoum renews accusation to Israel of supporting its rebels   (5/9/2003)
  Sudan: resumption of peace negotiations in Mashakos   (5/8/2003)
  Mubarak's Khartoum visit 'injected new blood in integration agreements'   (5/5/2003)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search