US Embassy in Sudan Warns of Terror Threat

The U.S. embassy in Sudan is warning of a threat by Islamist extremists to attack the Sudanese government as well as “Western interests.”

A statement on the U.S. embassy website warned that a post on a radical Islamist website threatened an attack on the Sudanese government. It indicated the threat is related to the recent death of a suspected Islamic extremist.

The statement provided few details of the threat, but warned that calls for violence against the government as well as “Western interests” could also be made during prayers on Friday, and urged Americans in Sudan to exercise caution.

Sudan has been on the U.S. government’s list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1993. Sudanese officials have been pushing Washington to remove Sudan from the list in recent years, as the country has cooperated in sharing intelligence as part of the war on terror. The United States says terrorists remain active in the country.

Source

Sudan Kills Egypt Kidnappers After Desert Chase

UPDATE: All hostages are reported to have been released.

Sudanese forces have killed six kidnappers who abducted 11 European tourists and eight Egyptian guides in a remote desert in southern Egypt nine days ago, Sudan’s presidential advisor has said.

“Sudanese forces followed the tracks of the kidnappers … and found them on the Chad border,” Mahjoub Fadl Badri said on Sunday.

“Sudanese forces killed six, including the commander of a Darfur rebel group, and arrested two,” he said.

“What the [captured] kidnappers say is that the hostages are still in Chad, they put them in a hideout and are still negotiating about them, but we have no details whether the Chadian army has moved in.”

A Sudanese soldier was also injured in the clash, Egypt’s official MENA news agency quoted the Sudanese army as saying, adding that the hostages were now being held at a place called Tabbat Shajara, just inside Chad.

Full Article

Tourists Kidnapped in Egypt

Fifteen tourists were forcibly taken by kidnappers Monday in Upper Egypt. The 15 was made up of five Germans, five Italians, four Egyptians and one Romanian.

The kidnapping took place near Gilf el-Kabir near the Libyan borders. According to Mustapha Tawfiq, chief of police of Aswan, the abductors were four Egyptians wearing masks.

The Egyptian Tourism Minister condemned the abduction of the 15 as an act of banditry, not of terrorism.

The 15 were spread in three of four vehicles. A ransom demand has been made, although the amount asked was not revealed. Egyptian Tourism Minister Ahmed al-Maghrabi said negotiations with the kidnappers are underway.

There were speculations that Israelis were included in the group and that the victims were taken to Sudan. Local Israel radio clarified there was no Israeli among the 15, but there was no confirmation where the kidnap victims were brought.

The four Egyptians kidnapped were identified as two safari company employees, the owner of the company and a security officer looking after group.

The Egyptian tourism minister, Zoheir Garana, said his department was negotiating with the kidnappers, who are thought to be desert tribesman demanding up to $6m (£3.25m) in ransom.

An Egyptian government spokesman said it was thought the tourists were taken to Sudan.

Security sources said there was no indication Islamist militants were involved.

More