Sudan’s government says FBI agents have arrived in Khartoum to help investigate Monday’s assassination attempt on Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.
The car bomb attack on Hamdok’s motorcade occurred in the Sudanese capital Monday. Hamdok escaped unharmed, and no one has claimed responsibility.
Sudanese Minister of information Faisal Mohammed Saleh said security agents have arrested a number of national and foreign nationals in connection with the attack. He did not elaborate on the number or identities of the suspects.
After attending an emergency government meeting Monday night, Interior Minister Attarifi Iddris Dafallah said Sudan welcomes help in finding the assailants.
“We condemn this criminal act, which is trying to damage the name of Sudan regionally and internationally. We would want to identify the security responsibility on the incident and seek the support of our friends to identify the attackers and present them to the court of justice,” Dafallah told VOA’s South Sudan in Focus.
Sudan's Prime Minister in the transitional government Abdalla Hamdok addresses people as they celebrate the first anniversary of the start of the uprising that toppled long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir, at the Friendship Hall in Khartoum, Dec 25, 2019.
In a Tweet, Hamdok said he was in “good shape” and added what happened would be “an additional push to the wheel of change in Sudan.” Hamdok runs a transitional government that was formed after the military overthrow in April of President Omar al Bashir.
The country’s top prosecutor, General Taj Al Ser Ali al-Hibr called Monday’s incident a “professionally plotted” attack that was bent on destroying the transitional government. He vowed to track down who was behind the attack.
A member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, Mohamed Al Fekki Suleiman, told reporters that a new security team will be empowered to effectively monitor individuals belonging to terrorist organizations.
“They shall closely and effectively monitor all individuals belonging to terrorist groups and prohibited organizations, who could be working against the objectives of the revolution, and take the necessary precautions against them,” Fekki told South Sudan in Focus.
General Awad Al Nil Dhahiya, a retired Sudanese police officer said Sudanese security officers do not have the experience needed to deal with terrorist threats. He says having the help of the FBI is a good thing.
“The coordination is not at the best level actually. So, putting it under one Ministry, that will be better,” Dhahiya told South Sudan in Focus.
People opposed to the transitional government are trying to test the capabilities of the government and paralyze its objectives, according to Sudanese journalist and analyst Mohammed Fazari.
“The situation is still under turmoil and they want to cut the way [short] to the transitional period. This failed attempt of assassination has a negative signal on the Sudanese political arena and also shows that the Islamists still exist and they may terrorize the situation,” Fazari said.
Bashir’s government enforced Islamist laws during his 30 year rule, and he still has support among Sudan’s security agencies.
The government has indicated it may transfer Bashir to the International Criminal Court to face charges of war crimes and genocide connected to the war in Darfur.