Opposition slams trial of NDA members

The Sudanese Peoples' Liberation Army (SPLA), the largest group opposing the Sudanese government, denounced the state's decision to try six opposition members on espionage charges. "These are trumped up charges, and a way to muzzle democracy", SPLA spokesman in Nairobi, Samson Kwaje told IRIN on Wednesday.

The six are all members of the domestic National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secretariat. The NDA brings together the SPLA and northern opposition groups. The six accused include Joseph Okelu, the NDA domestic secretary general, Ali Ahmed al-Sayyed, Al-Tighani Mustafa, Mohamed Widaat Allah, Mohamed Mahjoub, and Mohamed Suleiman, according to agency reports. They were arrested in December for meeting a US diplomat who was later deported, reportedly for meeting opposition members.

Kwaje told IRIN that all the accused are members of various opposition parties. "They have every right to meet with anyone, including diplomats," he said. "We are calling on the international community to put pressure on the government to stop this trial." The deputy head of mission of the Sudanese embassy in Nairobi, Dirdeery Ahmed, told IRIN that the six accused will get a fair trial in a civilian court. "They will be given every opportunity to defend themselves, and will not be tried under emergency laws", he said.