Sudan disrupts 'plot' linked to military, civilians

Sudan's powerful intelligence service on Thursday said it had disrupted a "plot" by members of the military and the political opposition to disturb the country's security.

At about the same time, a witness saw tanks moving in the streets of the capital.

One of those being questioned about the plot was Salah Gosh, longtime head of Sudan's intelligence service until three years ago, senior ruling party official Rabbie Abdelatti Ebaid told AFP.

But a spokesman for an alliance of opposition parties denied any link with attempts to bring about violent political change in the country which has already experienced seven coups or attempted coups in its 56-year history.

"The security and intelligence service early today stopped a plot to disturb security," said the Sudanese Media Centre, which is close to the security apparatus.

The centre quoted a source as saying authorities had been investigating both civilian and military personnel.

"This plot is led by some opposition party leaders," it said.

Ebaid, of the ruling National Congress Party, said he did not think that the former intelligence chief Gosh was under detention.

"They called him to get information because he was head of intelligence before," Ebaid said, adding security agents were still in the process of clarifying information about the plot.

"Up to now I don't think the information is clear," Ebaid said. "I don't think this is a coup."

President Omar al-Bashir replaced Gosh with Gosh's number two, General Mohamed Atta al-Moula, in August 2009.

Gosh then became presidential security adviser until he was sacked early last year. He had been pushing for dialogue with the political opposition.

Farouk Abu Issa, spokesman for the opposition parties, told AFP that he had heard about the plot allegation, "but I think it is fake."

He said the opposition supports democratic, peaceful change through strikes and demonstrations against Bashir's 23-year Islamist regime.

"The government knows that," he said.

A witness told AFP that he saw troops moving early Thursday, about the same time as the plot was reportedly broken up.

"About 2:00 am (2300 GMT) while passing Obeid Khatim Street I saw some tanks and vehicles with military equipment and soldiers coming from a southerly direction and heading downtown," said the witness, who asked for anonymity.

Obeid Khatim Street is a wide thoroughfare running alongside Khartoum's military and civilian airports, leading into the downtown area where government buildings are located.

However, there were no signs of extra troops downtown later Thursday.

Islamist reformers charge that corruption and other problems have left the government Islamic only in name and question how much longer Bashir should remain in power.

"A lot of people are saying 23 years is too long a time, and what's the difference between him and Mubarak and Assad?" a Sudan analyst who asked for anonymity said earlier.

He was referring to ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad.

In June and July scattered youth-driven protests, initially sparked by high inflation, called for an end to the regime in line with calls by Arab Spring demonstrators throughout the region.

Sudan's protests petered out in the face of widespread arrests.

"They themselves are afraid of their people uprising and saying 'no' to their policies," Issa said, noting the government has just raised the price of sugar, a Sudanese staple.

Inflation exceeds 40 percent.

"At the same time, there are differences between different factions" in the ruling apparatus, Issa said.

Analysts say the security forces themselves do not uniformly support the regime, which is fighting rebellions in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, as well as unrest in Darfur, while tensions have resurfaced on the unmarked border with South Sudan.