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Second Sudanese opposition leader arrested: family
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May 21, 2010 - 5:42:36 AM

Khartoum
Second Sudanese opposition leader arrested: family

Khartoum - Sudan on Thursday arrested Farouk Abu Eissa, leader of the opposition alliance, his family said, in a continuing crackdown on dissent in Africa's largest country just one month after elections.

The security forces told her Abu Eissa, one of the most outspoken government critics, was being taken for questioning. Opposition Islamist Hassan al-Turabi was arrested in a midnight raid on his house on Saturday.

President Omar Hassan al-Bashir won the April polls and his ruling National Congress Party won an overwhelming majority in parliament. Much of the opposition boycotted the polls, citing fraud. Those who participated also cried fraud after the strong NCP win.

His wife said security had been monitoring his house closely for the past three days.

Abu Eissa, a former foreign minister, was a member of the opposition caucus in parliament prior to the April elections, which returned only a handful of opposition seats in the north. Members of parliament enjoy immunity from prosecution under Sudanese law.