1/22/2005
The Sudanese authorities released some 35 members of the People's Congress party led by the opposition Islamist Hassan al-Turabi, including secretary of the foreign relations in the party lt. gen. Muhamad Elamine Khaleifa.
In a statement on Friday, the party said that Turabi is still detained for an indefinite time but his son al-Saddiq al-Turabi was among the released persons. Other 13 members of the party are still detained.
Mousa al-Mac Kore, al-Turabi's assistant, played down the importance of the release decision for some activists of the party. He stressed that without the full freedom and lifting the state of emergency -- this decision -- is meaningless. He considered that "we cannot talk about releasing detainees and achieving peace at a time when freedoms are violated."
Al-Mac Kore indicated that lt. gen. Khaleifa was released on Friday morning while the others were released on Wednesday and Thursday. Lt. gen. Khaleifa was among the 13 members in the National Council For Salvation who pushed Omar Hassan al-Bashir into authority in 1989.
Along 10 years lt. gen. Khaleifa led the government's negotiations with the southern rebels and he was an advisor for President Bashir. But he supported Turabi during the final differences with Bashir's regime four years ago.