March 26, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The President of Sudan, Omer Hassan
Al-Bashir, on Monday decreed the establishment of a committee to
undertake “mobilization of Jihadists”, appointing first Vice-President
Ali Osman Mohammad Taha as its chairman.
- Sudanese President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, left, Defense Minister Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein and Nafie Ali Nafie at a Khartoum rally in May (Abd Raouf - Associated Press)
Earlier this month, Al-Bashir ordered full mobilisation of the
paramilitary Popular Defense Forces (PDF) in the wake of increased
tension with neighbouring South Sudan which Khartoum accuses of
supporting rebels fighting the Sudanese government along the poorly
defined borders between the two countries.
Sudan’s News Agency (SUNA) published Al-Bashir’s decree, which stated
that the committee is tasked with making the necessary arrangements for
the “grand mobilization campaign” and preparations of Jihadists camps
as well as any other functions needed to achieve its purpose.
The committee’s membership is made up of 23 top state officials
including first Vice-President Taha as chairman, Defense Minister Abdel
Rahim Mohamed Hussien as Vice-Chairman. The mobilisation committee will
also include Minister of Interior, Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamed; Minister of
Finance, Ali Mahmoud Abdul-Rasool; Director-General of the National
Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Mohamed Atta; and the General
Coordinator of the Popular Forces, Abdullah Al-Jaili.
The decree instructed the ministry of finance to provide funding for
the committee which will be seated in the capital Khartoum but allowed
to set up branch offices elsewhere.
The decree comes on the same day in which Sudan’s army clashed with
South Sudan’s army in the oil-rich town of Heglig, in the most serious
confrontation since South Sudan split from Sudan in July last year.
(ST)
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