Khartoum to Up Security Throughout Sudan

By The Media Line news agency

Sudan is planning to bolster security in all its provinces, preparing for a possible attack on its soil following a pending indictment against the country's president.

Security forces have drawn up a plan to increase security around Sudan's larger cities and protect civilians against any invasion, informed sources told the London-based A-Sharq Al-Awsat.

Security officials will meet this week to discuss the emergency plan.

Last July, International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said there were reasonable grounds to believe the Sudanese president, 'Umar Al-Bashir, bore criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Sudan's western Darfur province.

Judges are studying evidence and are expected to issue their verdict within the coming weeks.

Khartoum is denying it is taking any extraordinary measures ahead of the ICC decision regarding Al-Bashir and refutes reports it will impose an emergency law if an arrest warrant is issued.

A report last week in the Saudi Al-Watan said Al-Bashir was planning to reshuffle the cabinet and set up an emergency government in the event of an ICC arrest warrant. Other measures would include restricting movement of aid organizations, diplomats and peacekeepers in Darfur, and monitoring aircraft.

The security plan is focusing mostly on the capital Khartoum, and will deploy security forces in institutions and government ministries to counter any threat to the country's leadership, A-Sharq Al-Awsat reported.

Khartoum says the ICC prosecutor's accusations are false and politically motivated.

There are concerns that an ICC announcement against Al-Bashir will put Darfur civilians, peacekeepers, United Nations staff and aid workers at risk.

The conflict in Darfur began in early 2003 when local rebel groups rose up against the central government in Khartoum, protesting against decades of discrimination. The government has been accused of unleashing aggressive armed groups called the Janjaweed to counter the rebels.

According to international estimates, more than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million displaced in what some governments are calling genocide.

The Sudanese government is downplaying the death toll of the Darfur conflict, and says it is closer to 10,000.

There are currently around 15,000 peacekeepers in Darfur as part of the United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), with Nigeria providing most of the troops. An additional 9,000 troops are still needed to reach the 26,000 required to effectively maintain peace in the crisis-torn area as stipulated by UNAMID's mandate.

The conflict has also caused many Darfur residents to flee to neighboring countries, especially to Chad and the Central African Republic.

A high-level gathering of Arab officials to discuss the situation in Darfur was postponed on Sunday because of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip.

Foreign ministers from the African Union and the Arab League were scheduled to meet in Doha, Qatar on Sunday to discuss ways to restore peace to Darfur.

The meeting has been put off until January 12, at Qatar's request, because the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister are heading to New York with other Arab officials to attend a United Nations Security Council meeting about reaching a cease-fire in Gaza, according to Al-Jazeera.

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