Sudanese police raid opposition meeting

The Sudanese opposition leader, Hassan al-Turabi, says security forces have raided a meeting of his party , the Popular National Congress, and made a number of arrests.

Mr Turabi said he was addressing his supporters on Friday evening when security forces smashed the windows of the house where the meeting was taking place and briefly detained around forty people.

He said two of his bodyguards were arrested on charges of carrying unlicensed weapons.

Sudanese government officials say the authorities acted to prevent an unauthorised meeting.

Mr Turabi -- whose Islamist party boycotted last month's presidential and parliamentary election -- said President Omar al-Bashir extended emergency laws to please the outside world, particularly Egypt, which, he added, does not mind if democracy is forfeited as long as Muslim fundamentalism is crushed.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service