SUDAN: JOURNALISTS DEPLORE THE TRIAL OF SUDANESE MEN IN NEW YORK

KHARTOUM, Dic 28 (IPS) - THE SUDANESE JOURNALIST'S UNION WEDNESDAY CRITICISED THE TRIAL OF FIVE SUDANESE MEN ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN THE BOMBING OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE IN NEW YORK IN 1992.

IN A PRESS STATEMENT HERE WEDNESDAY, THE STATE-RUN UNION DESCRIBED THE TRIAL AS NOTHING BUT AN ATTEMPT TO TARNISH THE IMAGE OF SUDAN AND ITS "CIVILIZED ORIENTATION", REFERRING TO THE ISLAMIC SHARIA (LAW) WHICH THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT IMPOSED IN THE NORTHEAST AFRICAN COUNTRY.

KHARTOUM IMPOSED THE SHARIA IN 1983, EFFECTIVELY RELEGATING THE NON-MUSLIM POPULATION OF SOUTHERN SUDAN, WHERE 35 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY'S 27 MILLION PEOPLE LIVE, TO THE STATE OF SECOND CLASS CITIZENS.

WEDNESDAY'S STATEMENT, LADEN WITH KORANIC QUOTATIONS, CALLED UPON ALL JOURNALISTS IN THE ARAB, AFRICA, ASIA AND ISLAMIC WORLD TO CONDEMN AND DENOUNCE THE TRIAL WHICH IT ALLEGED "ARE SLANTED TO SEVERE INJUSTICE, THROUGH MASS MEDIA TRIALS AND CAMPAIGNS LED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT."

THE UNION ALSO REGRETTED A DECISION BY THE U.S. FEDERAL COURT TO REJECT A REQUEST BY SUDANESE LAWYERS TO DEFEND THE FIVE, WHO ARE AMONG 11 SUSPECTS CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH THE PLOT.

SUDAN'S RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES HIT ROCK BOTTOM AFTER LT-GEN. OMAR HASSAN AL BASHIR OVERTHREW THE DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT OF PRIME MINISTER SADIQ AL MAHDI IN JUNE 1989.

AFTER FAILING TO PERSUADE THE JUNTA TO RESTORE CIVILIAN RULE, WASHINGTON RETALIATED BY CUTTING ALL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE EXCEPT HUMANITARIAN AID TO THE SUDAN.

THEN IN AUGUST 1993, WASHINGTON ADDED SUDAN TO THE LIST OF NATIONS IT CLAIMS SUPPORT TERRORISM, FOLLOWING THE BOMBING OF THE TRADE CENTRE.

THE U.S. DECISION HAS BROUGHT TO SEVEN THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES WHICH HAVE BEEN PUT ON THE "TERRORIST" LIST. OTHERS ARE IRAN, IRAQ, LIBYA, SYRIA, NORTH KOREA AND CUBA.

NONETHELESS, KHARTOUM, WITH FEW DIPLOMATIC LINKS BEYOND IRAQ, IRAN AND LIBYA AND SHUNNED BY THE DONORS, HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO BREAK OUT OF ITS ISOLATION.

IN AUGUST, IT DEPORTED CARLOS 'THE JACKAL', ONE OF THE MOST WANTED TERRORISTS BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT, TO PARIS. BUT THE MOVE HAS FAILED TO APPEASE WASHINGTON.

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