Sudan to Establish New Counterterrorism Security Unit

Security personnel stand near a car damaged after an explosion targeting the motorcade of Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok near the Kober Bridge in Khartoum, Sudan (File photo: Reuters)
Security personnel stand near a car damaged after an explosion targeting the motorcade of Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok near the Kober Bridge in Khartoum, Sudan (File photo: Reuters)
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Sudan to Establish New Counterterrorism Security Unit

Security personnel stand near a car damaged after an explosion targeting the motorcade of Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok near the Kober Bridge in Khartoum, Sudan (File photo: Reuters)
Security personnel stand near a car damaged after an explosion targeting the motorcade of Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok near the Kober Bridge in Khartoum, Sudan (File photo: Reuters)

Leaders of Sudan's transitional government agreed to form a new internal security unit affiliated with the Interior Ministry, within the framework of structuring the entire security system of the country to combat terrorists and take pre-emptive measures that ensure stability.

This comes after Sudan’s prime minister Abdalla Hamdok survived an assassination attempt when a 750 grams- explosive device went off near his convoy in the capital, Khartoum.

Sources reported that investigative authorities have arrested suspects in the failed assassination attempt.

Authorities did not provide detailed information about the progress of the investigations, however, the security arrested suspects who were being investigated, a source told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The source refused to reveal the names of persons or entities who helped the authorities in reaching the terrorists.

Spokesman of the Sovereign Council, Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman, said that a three-way meeting between the Sovereign Council, the government, and the central council of the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, decided to establish internal security units.

Internal Ministry’s agencies will monitor closely and effectively all members of terrorist and banned organizations, or groups with the objectives against the revolution. They will take all necessary measures against them, according to Faki.

The spokesman said the meeting stressed the importance of apprehending terrorists and monitoring ports and entry points in the country and taking precautionary measures to prevent another assassination attempt.

The meeting called for bringing terrorists of the failed assassination attempt to justice and securing the area of the incident. It also stressed the importance of partnership and cooperation between transitional governing bodies and informing the people through the media on the importance of national security.

The council urged citizens to take information from the official sources only, noting that “security is everyone’s responsibility."

Government spokesman and Minister of Culture and Information, Faisal Mohammad Salih, said in a press statement that the trilateral meeting discussed the security situation in the country against the backdrop of the failed attempt to assassinate the Prime Minister among other undisclosed issues.



UN Rights Chief Turk Demands Action Against Mass Killings in Syria

A funeral was held in Syria's Idlib province on Saturday to mourn four security members killed in clashes with loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad, as a war monitor group said the death toll from two days of clashes and revenge killings had risen to more than 1,000. (AP video shot by Omar Albam)
A funeral was held in Syria's Idlib province on Saturday to mourn four security members killed in clashes with loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad, as a war monitor group said the death toll from two days of clashes and revenge killings had risen to more than 1,000. (AP video shot by Omar Albam)
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UN Rights Chief Turk Demands Action Against Mass Killings in Syria

A funeral was held in Syria's Idlib province on Saturday to mourn four security members killed in clashes with loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad, as a war monitor group said the death toll from two days of clashes and revenge killings had risen to more than 1,000. (AP video shot by Omar Albam)
A funeral was held in Syria's Idlib province on Saturday to mourn four security members killed in clashes with loyalists of ousted President Bashar Assad, as a war monitor group said the death toll from two days of clashes and revenge killings had risen to more than 1,000. (AP video shot by Omar Albam)

The UN human rights chief called on Syria's interim leadership on Sunday to intervene to prevent reported mass killings in coastal areas and bring the perpetrators to account.

"The caretaker authorities' announcements of their intention to respect the law must be followed by swift actions to protect Syrians, including by taking all necessary measures to prevent any violations and abuses and achieve accountability when these occur," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Germany also described as "shocking" reports that more than 1,000 people have been killed in coastal Syria in the worst clashes since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.

"The transitional government has a responsibility to prevent further attacks, to investigate the incidents and to hold those responsible to account," the German foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We strongly urge all sides to end the violence."