Attorney General Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin of Sudan

Mr Yassin said 14 members of the police, army and security forces were under arrest in West Darfur state and one in North Darfur state, but that the committee had not yet finished work.

security forces to release Abdel Seed.

Justice Minister Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin said Monday those arrested would be sent to court immediately.

But Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin said ending the crisis in Darfur is at "the top of the government priorities" and insisted that Khartoum is capable of solving it, Al-Anbaa daily said.

Sudanese Justice Minister Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin said the government, which imposes Islamic sharia law, would not overturn the sentences because the death penalty was sanctioned by the Koran, the Muslim holy book.

Issues where there is a definitive text we have no choice but to abide by them," Yassin was quoted as saying by the daily al-Rai al-Aam.

Justice Minister Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin said 10 suspects were already on trial in southern Darfur for crimes including rape.

Yassin said in a press statement that a special committee would hammer out a constitution for the southern states.

Earlier, Justice Minister Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin had warned that meeting the deadline would be "extremely difficult.

Justice Minister Yassin said in a statement issued in Khartoum that doing so would not be easy.

The human rights expert would work as a consultant under the auspices of UN Development Program to advise on developing activities to strengthen and protect human rights in the country, Yassin said (Integrated Regional Information Networks, 26 Mar.