Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)-“The arrest of Turabi does not surprise me” Bishop Macram Max Gassis, Catholic Bishop of El Obeid, Sudan, told Fides commenting the arrest during the night of Hassan al-Turabi, opposition Islamist leader over an alleged plot to overthrow President Omar al-Bashir. 27 other people opposition politicians and army officers have also been detained..
“Dr Turabi is educated and highly intelligent, but he is also cunning and ambitious” said Bishop Gassis. “He dreams of taking power and founding a Sudanese Islamic republic. It comes as no surprise that he is suspected of planning to overthrow the present government”.
For a long time Turabi was “the brain” of the Islamic - military regime which took power after the coup in 1989. However in 2001, President Omar al-Bashir had him arrested. Released shortly afterwards and put under house arrest, he resumed leadership of the party.
“It is too early to foresee the consequences of Turabi’s arrest on Sudan’s future” Bishop Gassis told Fides. “My main concern at the moment is for peace. I have received signals that talks in Naivasha, Kenya to put an end to the war in Southern Sudan may stop. The unsolved problems are always the same the future of the border regions between south and north Sudan: Nuba Mountains, Abiey and Blue Nile State. It is still uncertain whether these regions will be under the control of the future temporary administration of southern Sudan or the government of Khartoum”. “I am also concerned about the silent war in Darfur, in western Sudan” Bishop Gassis told Fides. “I call it silent because no one speaks of it. The international community must take action now, not wait until it is too late”. For months in Darfur there has been heavy fighting between government troops and 2 rebel groups. Because of the conflict more than 100,000 people fled for safety to neighbouring Chad.
In a report sent to Fides to call the attention of the international community to the war in Darfur the Sudanese Bishops’ Conference speak of “ethnic cleansing and violations of human dignity” and they say: “ In the ambit of the peace process for southern Sudan and in order to lay sold foundations for a lasting peace, it would appear not only wise but vitally necessary to deal with the injustices and atrocities happening in Darfur”. The Bishops call on the international community to support the peace talks in Kenya between the Sudanese government and the Southern Peoples Liberation Movement. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 31/3/2004, righe 35 parole 442 )
