October 22, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Ministry of Interior announced on Monday that it has decided to deploy a police force consisting of 5,600 officers in the capital Khartoum during the Eid holiday as part of security preparations to counter “planned sabotage operations”.

According to the director of the criminal investigation department in Khartoum State, Lt-Gen Mohammed Ahmad Ali, they are bracing themselves for planned sabotage operations targeting vital and strategic locations during the Eid Holiday inside Khartoum hence the additional police force.

Ali, who was speaking in a press conference in Khartoum, said that the new units will be deployed in all parts of the capital as part of a security plan to protect strategic and vital facilities as well as fighting crime, drug trafficking and alcohol brewing activities.

Eid Al-Adha holiday is due to start on Friday, 26 October. Sudanese authorities announced in recent weeks that they had thwarted a number of attempts to smuggle arms into the capital, accusing armed rebel groups of being behind the attempts.

The police official revealed that they arrest an average of 3,000 people a day on different sorts of felonies. He also added that the Public Order Police, the morality branch, conduct around 300 raids a day against alcohol brewing houses.

He called on citizens to assist the police in carrying out their duties by taking the precautions of securing their houses and money.

(ST)