Sudan opposition says two leaders arrested after unity deal
Sun Dec 7, 2014 9:01am GMT
KHARTOUM Dec 7 (Reuters) - Sudanese security forces arrested two prominent
opposition leaders late on Saturday, days after they signed an agreement
aimed at unifying opposition to President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, a leading
dissident said.
Seddik Youssef, an official of the National Consensus Forces (NCF), an
umbrella group of Sudan's main opposition parties, told Reuters by telephone
that NCF leader Farouk Abu Issa, 81, and human rights lawyer Amin Mekki, 75,
had been detained.
A broad spectrum of Sudanese political opposition and armed rebel groups put
aside differences to sign a unity agreement on Wednesday that they hope will
strengthen their hand in peace talks with the government that are taking
place in Addis Ababa.
Though he does not represent a political party, Mekki signed the unity
agreement on behalf of a number of non-governmental organisations critical
of Bashir's government, Youssef said.
Security officials were not immediately available for comment.
The opposition deal brings together a number of major groups including the
Islamist Umma party and the NCF, an alliance of mostly secular parties. They
were joined by a group representing the armed movements of three war-torn
regions: Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
A government spokesman said after the deal was signed that "there would be a
price" to pay for cooperating with the rebels.
The government is currently negotiating to end a conflict with the Sudan
People's Liberation Movement-North, which is active in South Kordofan and
Blue Nile. Talks in Addis Ababa resumed on Friday after a four-day
suspension. (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Mahmoud Mourad;
Editing by Catherine Evans)