Sudan's head of intelligence Sala Gosh given entry to UK

On March 1, 2006 the Guardian reported the UN was to impose sanctions on 10 members of Sudanese government and a UN Security Council resolution, sponsored by Britain, will recommend a travel ban, a freeze on overseas accounts and other assets, and, possibly, the issuing of warrants by the International Criminal Court, which deals with crimes against humanity.

Note, the report revealed Sudan's interior minister, defence minister and the director of its national intelligence service are named in a confidential list of individuals who could be considered for sanctions by the UN Security Council over their alleged role in the conflict in Darfur.

Also, it stated "a British official said the resolution naming individuals in "close to double figures" would be put in the next fortnight; the names would not be revealed beforehand, for fear they would move their assets or go into hiding, but at least one was a senior member of Sudan's armed forces."

Today (March 10) a BBC report tells us one of those officials suspected of involvement in mass killings in Darfur has been on a secret visit to London. Excerpt:

Officials revealed Salah Abdallah Gosh, head of Sudan's national security and intelligence service, was given a visa. He came to get medical treatment and has now left, they said.

Mr Gosh is said to be the third in command in the Sudanese hierarchy dealing with Darfur. He is one of a number of officials reported to have been named in a confidential report from a United Nations panel of experts as people who should be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court.

An annex to the report says he should be charged with failure to "neutralise and disarm non-state armed militia groups in Darfur; and command responsibility for acts of arbitrary detention, harassment [and] torture".

BBC world affairs correspondent Chris Morris says he also had close links with Western intelligence agencies, particularly with the US Central Intelligence Agency.

The US embassy in London declined to comment last night on whether any US officials had met Mr Gosh during his stay in London.

Photo: Maj. Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, Sudan's intelligence chief

Further reading:

Apr 29 2005 Reuters excerpt: The chief of Sudan's Mukhabarat intelligence agency, Maj. Gen. Salah Abdallah Gosh, told the [LA] Times: "We have a strong partnership with the CIA. The information we have provided has been very useful to the United States." Sudanese Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail acknowledged in an interview that the Mukhabarat already had served as the eyes and ears of the CIA in neighboring countries, including Somalia, a sanctuary for Islamic militants

Jun 17, 2005 Sudan Tribune Sudanese intelligence visitor split US officials - LAT

Jun 17 2005 Washington Times report by Bill Gertz: US probes reported Sudan link to terror - U.S. intelligence and security agencies are investigating reports that Sudan's government has renewed its covert support for al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists

Jun 20 2005 Sudan Watch (Further reading) Al-Qaeda said angry at Sudan for passing data to US

Nov 20 2005 CIA met Gaddafi - Sudan rounded up extremist suspects for questioning by CIA

Dec 25 2005 Sudanese official nominated as Arab League envoy in Iraq - ICC has list of 51 names of suspected Darfur war criminals

Feb 21 2006 List of top wanted Janjaweed leaders - Who's who on Darfur (African Confidential)

Feb 22 2006 Financial Times Sudan ministers named in leaked UN Darfur list



Photo: Sudanese security chief Salah Abdullah Gosh (SMC/ST)