afrol News, 18 June - 39 Sudanese appeared in court today for allegedly taking part in last month’s Darfur rebel attack on Khartoum.

Suspects who were arrested after 10 May were allegedly involved in clashes centered on a suburb of Khartoum that left at least 200 dead during the first attack on the city by a regional rebel group in decades of civil wars.

The latest attack was the closest Darfur rebels have ever come to Sudan's seat of government, hundreds of miles away from their bases in the far west of the country.

Three special courts were created in Khartoum and other two cities to put on trial 13 suspects in each court under charges of counter-terrorism and criminal legislation, under which if suspects are convicted may face death penalty.

The establishment of the courts has however been criticised as lacking independence and capacity to give those charged, a fair trail.

"These special courts are created by the chief justice, who is appointed by the president and cannot be neutral," a of the defence team, Mr Kamal Omer, had openly complained.

There were no formal charges laid on suspect today, but suspects complained that they had no access to their chosen lawyers.

Senior defense lawyer, Mr Mohammed Abdullah Duma also said newly established courts deny defendants normal procedures because they can only appeal their sentences once.

The start of the trial coincided with a call from Human Rights Watch (HRW) for Sudan to account for hundreds of adults and children arrested after the attack and bring to justice those behind torture and mistreatment of detainees.

"Hundreds of people in Khartoum have been rounded up because they are from Darfur, and brutally beaten and thrown into overcrowded jails where some have died," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director with the US-based group.

HRW called on Sudanese authorities to account for every individual and charge them with a cognizable crime or immediately release them.

The Darfur conflict became a full-fledged war in 2003 when ethnic African rebels revolted against Arab-dominated central government which they say marginalised them. Up to 300,000 people have died in the fighting and 2.5 million people were displaced.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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