Sudanese government 'may face revolution'

Sudanese opposition leader Hassan Abdallah al-Turabi has launched a scathing attack on the country’s government, warning that it will be "torn down by a popular uprising." Speaking at a meeting of the senior leadership of his Popular Congress Party on Friday, the Islamist politician also blamed the government for a "brain drain of educated people" from Sudan and for trying to divide the opposition. Amidst chants calling for the fall of the regime, Turabi said the country’s leadership faced two choices: either step down voluntarily and spare the country bloodshed, or be “pulled out by the roots” by a revolution. The opposition leader accused the government, led by President Omar al-Bashir, of repression and restricting freedoms, saying his party received better treatment from the government of South Sudan than that of its own country. Specifically, Turabi claimed the Sudanese authorities had banned delegations from South Sudan from reaching the headquarters of the Popular Congress Party, stating the government was "deliberately sowing seeds of strife and division" among opposition groups in order to weaken their power. Turabi took the opportunity to decry the deteriorating economic and living conditions in Sudan which he blamed for an exodus of doctors and university professors. He insisted conditions would not improve until a democratic state which respected people’s freedoms was put in place. The party leader also criticised the absence of the public registrar of Sudanese political parties from the opening of the meeting, accusing him of being too frightened of the government to attend an opposition meeting. Turabi split from the ruling National Congress Party in 1999, forming the Popular Congress and becoming the leader of the Sudanese opposition. He has been arrested on several occasions and is accused by Sudanese authorities of supporting the rebel Justice and Equality Movement in Darfur.