The Islamist opposition leader, Hassan al-Turabi, and at least four other important members of his party are reported to have been arrested as the situation gets worse in Khartoum where the Darfur rebels continue advancing towards their target.
By Kaci Racelma
The rebels say they are marching on Khartoum to take control of an air base north of the capital.
The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels who launched the attack in an attempt to take control of the country’s capital have been strongly condemned by the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, and the international community for violent acts aimed at destabilising the country.
France and the United States of America have also condemned the attack from the Darfur insurgents while calling for a faster deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Sudan.
Rebel leader, Khalil Ibrahim, is reportedly determined to prepare other attacks against Sudanese army forces to destabilise the government.
Meanwhile, sources close to the Sudanese government announced that the rebels have been beaten off and that the government aims to pursue them beyond the Sudanese borders.
The Sudanese government also claims to have obtained information including written documentation from detainees, providing full proof of Chadian involvement in the insurgency, which explains its decision to sever diplomatic ties with Chad.
The Darfur crisis has caught the attention of the Arab world where its impact is considerable.
