SUDANESE OPPOSITION LEADER’S HEALTH WORSENS

The family of Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi, 76, say he is in solitary confinement and they are increasingly worried for his health. He was arrested late on Wednesday after saying President Omar al-Bashir should hand himself in to The Hague to face war crimes charges for the Darfur war.

His relatives say they have not been able to see or speak to him at a state intelligence detention centre. Judges are deciding whether to issue an international warrant for Mr Bashir. Sources in the capital, Khartoum, says tension is mounting ahead of the International Criminal Court decision.

The head of national intelligence recently said foreigners in Sudan could be attacked if an arrest warrant is issued for the president. Presidential spokesman Mahjoub Fadul confirmed that Mr Turabi had been detained but said he did not know the reason, reports Reuters news agency.

A spokesman at Sudan’s London embassy said the arrest came as no surprise as Mr Turabi was known to have links with the Darfur rebel Justice and Equality Movement, which he described as a “terrorist organisation”.

“This is quite normal as you know in many countries including the United States… people can be arrested for investigation for up to 40 something days,” Khalid al-Mubarak told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme. Jem leader Khalil Ibrahim used to be one of Mr Turabi’s followers.

Mr Turabi was last arrested in 2008, after Jem launched a surprise raid near the capital Khartoum.

SOURCED FROM BBC

SADC MEETS ON ZIMBABWE’S CRISIS

The presidents of regional powers South Africa and Mozambique will meet political parties in Zimbabwe on Monday, in a new regional push to break a deadlock in power-sharing talks, South Africa said on Thursday.

Those talks will be followed by meetings of Zimbabwean negotiators on issues holding back the agreement on forming a unity government, South Africa’s presidency said in a statement. South African President Kgalema Motlanthe will lead a delegation of regional grouping SADC, Mozambique President Armando Guebuza and mediator Thabo Mbeki, said the statement.

Motlanthe is SADC’s current chairman and South Africa is seen as the country with the most economic and political clout in the region. While SADC members Zambia and Botswana have criticised Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has resisted calls to step down, other regional states have failed to persuade the parties to agree despite repeated calls for help from opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Earlier on Thursday, Tsvangirai demanded the unconditional release of detained party activists before the power-sharing deal with Mugabe could be implemented. He told a news conference in neighbouring South Africa that he was committed to the agreement, signed by Zimbabwe’s rival political parties in September, but said he lacked a credible partner.

He said there had been breaches of the agreement by Mugabe’s government, including the abduction and detention of opposition activists.

SOURCED FROM REUTERS

ZIMBABWE INTRODUCES Z$100TR NOTE

Zimbabwe is introducing a Z$100 trillion note, currently worth about US$30 (£20), state media reports. Other notes in trillion-dollar denominations of 10, 20 and 50 are also being released to help Zimbabweans cope with hyperinflation.

However, the dollarisation of the economy means that few products are available in the local currency. On Thursday, the opposition leader said he was still committed to power-sharing intended to rescue the failing economy.

Since September, when the deal was signed, talks have stalled over who should control key ministries. Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai said he was due to hold talks with President Robert Mugabe “within this coming week” to try to resolve the political crisis.

He described Mr Mugabe as “part of the problem but also part of the solution”. The latest annual figure for inflation, estimated in July last year, was 231m% – the world’s highest. On Tuesday, a 50bn Zimbabwean dollar note was issued, AFP news agency reports.

SOURCED FROM BBC