Sudanese president swears in new spy chief

August 17, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir swore in yesterday the new director of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) and the newly established post of adviser for National Security.
Bashir was joined at the swearing ceremony by presidential affairs minister Bakri Hassan Saleh and chief justice Galal Osman.
Last week Al-Bashir issued a surprise decree replacing the NISS chief Salah Gosh with his deputy Mohamed Atta Al-Moula Abbas.
The presidential decree stated that Gosh was appointed an adviser without specifying the role he would be playing.
However, following the swearing in, Gosh told state media that it was his idea to establish a national security institution headed by an adviser to the president.
The adviser would oversee all government law enforcement agencies including the NISS, army and police, he said, adding that there are “many complexities” facing the country.
Gosh said that he felt that he was tasked with a “major responsibility” saying he hoped for god’s blessings in his new role.
The ex-NISS chief was considered an influential figure within the regime who handles a number of crucial dossiers including tensions with Chad, Darfur IDP camps, counter-terrorism cooperation with the US and keeping a close eye on political opposition within the country.
He helped transform the NISS into a powerful bureau that is believed to have its own well trained militia with stakes in business ventures to generate money enabling it to be self sufficient.
The reasons behind the shuffle remains unclear though some speculations in Khartoum say that Gosh’s powers became a matter of concern to Bashir.
However others say that Gosh’s failure in providing timely intelligence on the advancement of the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) into the capital last year.
(ST)