Malawi terror suspects in Sudan

By Martin Plaut
BBC News

Muslims protested after the men were taken

Five foreign Muslims arrested in Malawi last month on suspicion of belonging to al-Qaeda have been flown into the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, officials say.

A senior police spokesman said investigations had cleared the men - one Sudanese, a Kenyan, a Saudi, and two Turks - of terrorism charges.

In June, the five men living in Malawi were arrested in a joint operation mounted by United States Central Intelligence Agency and Malawi's security organisation.

Very little information should be given which would make the investigations with the American authorities difficult Fahad Assani Malawi Director of Public Prosecution

The Americans wanted to deport the men, but their lawyer took the matter before the High Court, which ordered that it should hear their case.

Despite this, the men were put on board a plane and taken out of Malawi to an unknown destination - leaving the Director of Public Prosecution, Fahad Assani, explaining that he did not know where they were.

"This sort of terrorism is a very high risk security problem, and very little information should be given which would make the investigations with the American authorities difficult," he said.

Murky case

Muslims in Malawi took to the streets in protest, leading to clashes with the police.

President Bakili Muluzi defended the action, saying that his government had no choice in the matter, because Malawi was under an international obligation to fight terrorism.

Now the men have turned up in Sudan, but the US embassy in Malawi is refusing all comment.

A great deal still remains unclear about this extremely murky case.