Sudanese opposition leader al-Turabi arrested in Khartoum
Sudanese opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi was arrested on Monday night after comparing the situation in Sudan with the one in Tunisia. A government official says he was arrested for fomenting unrest.
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Several other members of Turabi's Popular Congress Party (PCP) were arrested on Monday, and the PCP has vowed to take to the streets to change the government.
President Omar al-Beshir's top aide Nafie Ali Nafie said the 78-year-old opposition leader had been arrested for inciting popular unrest.
Umama al-Turabi, daughter of Sudanese opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi
"The security services have documented and confirmed evidence that Turabi was trying to provoke popular unrest -- the street uprisings that he has mentioned," Nafie told reporters on Tuesday, adding that anyone else involved in such activities would be arrested.
According to his daughter Umama al-Turabi, Turabi said that a Tunisia-style uprising was "likely" in Sudan.
“In just days, the regime changed in Tunisia, and he said that it is not far from happening here in Sudan. But he wants it to happen in a peaceful way - without the use of arms, aggression or violence.”
“He’s asking the Sudanese to stand up to this government and change it by peaceful means because the country is a very critical situation.”
Sudan at the moment stands at a crossroads with the south poised to vote for independence in a landmark referendum last week.
Al-Turabi was arrested at his home in Khartoum.
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