State to prosecute 1989 coup leaders

Sudan’s Prosecutor-General has issued arrest warrants for the people responsible for the Islamist coup which brought deposed former President Omar al-Bashir to power 30 years ago. Sudan’s Freedom and Change Forces (FFC) – the coalition group which organised the mass protests that swept across the country leading to the ousting and arrest of al-Bashir – has confirmed criminal proceedings against the organisers of the 30 June 1989 coup, including leaders of the Popular Congress Party which split from the National Congress Party in 1999, 10 years after the Islamist coup, were continuing. A report on the IoL site notes that the co-ordinator of the FFC Legal Committee, Mohamed Arabi, said prosecutor Ahmed Al Hala has asked the penitentiary authorities to hand over al-Bashir, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Nafei Ali Nafei and Awad Ahmed Jazz, all of whom have been under arrest since 11 April.