Attempted coup crushed, says Sudanese military leader
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Bashir, who seized power in a coup last June, said in a statement reported by Egypt's Middle East News Agency from Khartoum that all those involved in the early morning coup bid were detained.
The coup attempt was carried out by retired and serving army officers, he said, without giving their number. Bashir said his government had been carefully monitoring what he called moves to take the country back to disintegration and disunity.
A declaration signed in February between the Sudan People's Liberation Army and northern party politicians in which they vowed to topple him.
The SPLA has been fighting government forces in the south since 1983 in a bid to curb what it considers the excessive influence over the region wielded by the Moslem, Arabised north.
Bashir banned all political parties on taking power last June. He suspended the constitution and dissolved Parliament and trade unions, bringing Sudan under military rule for the fourth time since independence in 1956.
"We have been monitoring carefully and closely what is taking place until they (the coup plotters) decided to move at dawn today," he said. "But we were quicker with a victory from God and contained the situation."
"All those who took part in this attempt -- in military service or in retirement -- were arrested and the attempt was foiled," said Bashir. Bashir congratulated the armed forces for what he termed their alertness and courage and appealed to Sudanese to be vigilant.
His government said last month it had uncovered a coup plot, later reported to have been aimed at restoring democratic rule. Thirtyfive people, including the son of deposed prime minister Sadeq al-Mahdi, were arrested in connection with the plot, according to press reports.
A senior Western diplomat contacted by telephone in Khartoum told Reuters the Sudanese capital was calm. MENA earlier quoted a source at the military headquarters as saying loyalist troops were in full control of the city.
In addition to the war the south, successive Sudanese governments have over the past decade been wrestling with a worsening economic crisis, foreign debt -- now standing at 13-billion-dollars -- famine, drought, floods and disease.
