Suspect arrested for assassination attempt on Sudanese Prime Minister

In a press statement on Tuesday the governor of Khartoum state, Lt Gen Ahmed Abdoun, stated that the authorities have arrested a suspect for the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok that took place on Monday.

He said that the device with which the motorcade of Hamdok was attacked, exploded by remote detonation.

A security source said that the security forces hold a number of people suspected of participating in the attempt to assassinate Hamdok. He said the detainees have been under investigation since Monday evening.

The Sovereign Council, the Council of Ministers and the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) had a meeting yesterday to discuss the way the security forces and the police handled the attack on the motorcade of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on Monday morning.

At the meeting it was decided to establish an internal security unit affiliated to the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Ibrahim El Sheikh, a leading member of the FFC, said in a press conference after the meeting that the re-structuring of the security apparatus, the police, and the army and militia forces will continue.

El Sheikh also emphasised the prime minister's role in managing the Ministry of Interior Affairs, which is led by Minister of Interior Affairs Gen El Tereifi Daballah.

He said that no extraordinary measures will be taken that restrict freedoms or infringe upon values because of the assassination attempt.

However, the presence of terrorist elements within Sudan should be taken seriously, he said.

Sovereign Council spokesperson Mohamed El Faki reported that the meeting stressed the importance of pursuing terrorist elements, monitoring ports and other border crossings.

He stated that protecting the leadership of the country is the duty of the security service.

The meeting also decided on "careful monitoring and an effective follow-up of all members of banned terrorist organisations or groups with anti-revolutionary goals, and taking precautionary measures against them".

The committee tasked with the dismantling of the ousted Al Bashir former regime "must be enabled to carry out its tasks at the required speed," he said.

Spokesman for the police forces Maj Gen Omar Abdelmajed said that the perpetrators of the assassination attempt on the prime minister used an explosive device weighing 750 grams, which was buried at the side of the road.

According to initial technical research, the explosive device was made locally. It consisted of the highly explosive lead azide. Lead azide (Pb(N3)2) is a human-made white powder. If it is dry it explodes when exposed to shock, heat, flames or friction. It is commonly used as a detonator to ignite secondary explosions.

The blast left a hole with a length of 90 centimetre, a width of 65 centimetre, and a depth of 25 centimetre.

Iron fragments resulting from the explosion caused damage to the vehicles of the motorcade.

The police spokesman further reported that "teams of detectives are investigating the dimensions of the conspiracy".

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