A Sudanese court handed a death sentence on Saturday to a leader of Darfur's most powerful rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), saying he violated the constitution and fomented war against the state, Sudan's state news agency said.
Al-Tom Hamed Tutu was captured in Southern Kordofan state, where fighting broke out in June between the Sudanese army and groups seeking to wrest control of the region from Khartoum. JEM, which is mostly active in neighbouring Darfur, joined up with a branch of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) to attack government troops in Southern Kordofan in July as the conflict gradually escalated to include artillery and aircraft. According to Sudan news agency SUNA, Tutu was also accused of wearing a military uniform with an SPLA badge.
JEM condemned the verdict against Tutu on Saturday, saying he is a military and political leader of a movement that the Sudanese government recognises and negotiates with. "The movement calls on governments, rights and humanitarian groups and all people who love peace to share their responsibilities and intervene quickly to save leader Hamed from hanging by the racist governing gang," JEM said in a statement.
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