By Opheera McDoom KHARTOUM, May 12 (Reuters) - Sudan arrested Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi and at least four top members of his party on Monday after the Khartoum attack by Darfur rebels historically linked to him, aides said. The attack at the weekend was the first time fighting had reached the capital in decades of conflict between the traditionally Arab-dominated central government of Africa's biggest country and rebels from far-flung regions. Leaders of the Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), which mounted the attack, were supporters of Turabi in the past but he denies any backing for JEM. Turabi's son said security forces arrested his father at his home about one hour after returning from a conference of his Popular Congress Party in nearby Sennar state. "They want to blame the party for what has happened," said Siddig al-Turabi. No immediate comment was available from President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's government. Turabi was Bashir's ideologue until they split in a power struggle in 1999-2000 in the oil-producing nation. Since then he has been in and out of jail but was released along with all other political prisoners after a 2005 north-south peace deal. On Sunday, Sudan cut diplomatic relations with neighbouring Chad, saying the attack by the rebels from the western Darfur region had been supported by Chadian President Idriss Deby. The rebels made a lightning advance across 600 km (400 miles) of desert and scrub to attack Khartoum's western Omdurman suburb on Saturday in what one of their leaders called a bid for power. Officials said the last rebels fled on Sunday evening. About 65 people were believed to have been killed. BASHIR ACCUSATION In a television broadcast, Bashir accused JEM leader Khalil Ibrahim, who is from the same tribe as Deby, of being behind the attack. Chad has denied involvement, but analysts say it may have backed the JEM rebels to retaliate for an attack on the Chadian capital three months ago. Rebels in Sudan have for decades complained of neglect by the central government. A peace deal between north and south ended one civil war in 2005 and boosted Sudan's economy by increasing oil production in the south, but that agreement did not cover the conflict that erupted in Darfur five years ago. International experts estimate some 200,000 people have been killed and that 2.5 million have been made homeless in Darfur since mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms. Bashir Adam Rahman, political secretary of the Popular Congress Party, said Saturday's fighting showed the government "the war is coming to their backyard" and that it must seize the chance for meaningful peace talks. But government officials said the attack ruled JEM out of any peace process. A curfew remained in force on the outskirts of Omdurman, as troops hunted down rebels. Military checkpoints were at every major junction. Heavy tanks lined Omdurman's streets and dozens of vehicles carrying armed men raced along. Security forces were arresting mostly young men who looked to be from Darfur. But the streets were again full of people. Chad said it was surprised at Sudan's "hasty decision" to cut off ties and that it hoped they would be re-established. Deby and Bashir signed a non-aggression pact in March. Each has accused the other of breaking the deal.
U.S. Army General David Petraeus, U.S. commander in Iraq, smiles next to Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani while being introduced during an Iraqi police officers summit in Baghdad May 7, 2008. ...
