Sudan jails 7 state security agents over coup plot

 Sudan President Omar al-Bashir addressing a conference in Khartoum. Photo/FILE 


IN SUMMARY

 Analysts say the case reflects a political struggle within the 24-year regime of President Omar al-Bashir, who himself took power in a coup.

KHARTOUM 

A special court in Sudan on Thursday jailed seven members of the powerful state security service for up to eight years over a coup attempt last year, the service said.

Their conviction follows the sentencing earlier this month of several army officers, who were jailed for the same plot but then walked free under a presidential amnesty.

The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) said in a statement that three security colonels and four lower-ranked security officers were sentenced to prison for various terms ranging between two and eight years.

They had "participated in the plot" last November, the statement said.

Analysts say the case reflects a political struggle within the 24-year regime of President Omar al-Bashir, who himself took power in a coup.

Officials have never revealed more than vague details about the plot which analysts said was linked to hardcore Islamist officers who had once firmly backed the regime.

Until Thursday it remained unclear how many NISS officers had been detained.