- The Sudanese special court has ordered the execution by hanging of 10 Darfur rebels found guilty of a deadly attack on the capital Khartoum in May, killing more than 200 people.
The convicted members of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) were found guilty of treason, violence against the state and illegal possession of weapons. More than 50 members of the group have already been sentenced to death for the attack.
“I condemn you to death by hanging," Judge Mutasim Tajisir said in delivering the verdict, giving the defendants one week to appeal the verdict which was swiftly branded illegal by JEM.
Last year, the United Nations expressed concern over the trials in the Sudanese courts especially created for the case and urged Khartoum to abolish capital punishment.
Defence lawyers have argued that the special courts are unconstitutional and have not guaranteed their clients' legal rights.
More than 200 people were reportedly killed in the May attack on Omduram, prompting the Sudanese government to beef up security and arrest large number of people, including top opposition figures.
JEM is one of the several rebel groups fighting the government and pro-government Arab Janjaweed militia in Sudan's western Darfur region.
The attack had strained diplomatic relations between Khartoum and N'djamena after the former accused the later of backing the rebels. President Omar al-Bashir also accused the internal elements blaming them for conspiring with the rebels.
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