US warns its citizens of possible attacks in Sudan

June 25, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The US embassy in Sudan issued a warden message saying that some extremists groups have vowed to revenge the death one of their own at the hands of Khartoum this month.
The embassy said that these statements including threats of violent actions against the Sudanese government were posted on Jihadist website.
“The U.S. Embassy is concerned that there may be calls for violent action against the Government of Sudan and/or western interests during Friday prayers on June 26”.
Last week the Sudanese authorities said that a man by the name of Dr. Al-Ebeid Abdel-Wahab was killed after being pursued by the police. The latter said that a bystander attempted to help the police and threw a large stone at Al-Wahab in the head as he was escaping on a motorcycle causing his death in hospital later.
However many pro-extremists websites issued statements accusing the Sudanese authorities of assassinating him and that Khartoum wanted to extradite him to the US as part of the counterterrorism cooperation between the two sides.
The London based Al-Hayat newspaper quoted one of Abdel-Wahab’s friends as saying that he had planned to travel to Somalia to join the ranks of the Islamist militias before his death.
The US embassy advised its citizens in Sudan to maintain a low profile and exercise increased vigilance particularly after a verdict by local court against suspects accused of killing a USAID worker and his driver last year.
However, the Sudanese foreign ministry spokesperson Ali Al-Sadiq downplayed the embassy warning saying that similar warden messages were issued before that turned out not to be justified.
Al-Sadiq stressed that security authorities are in a state of constant alert to protect the foreign missions and ordinary citizens as well.
He noted that following the issuance of the arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir no embassy got attacked in retaliation.
(ST)