Man throws shoe at Sudan President

A man threw his shoe at Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in a public conference in the capital yesterday, a particularly insulting action in Arab culture, witnesses said.

They said the unidentified man was detained by about 10 presidential guards, although the shoe missed Mr Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in the western Darfur region.

State news agency Suna contradicted an earlier presidential denial, saying a mentally-ill man threw a shoe at those attending the conference as he was being detained by security.

It was not immediately clear why the man threw the shoe.

In Arab culture, it is rude even to show the sole of your shoe to a colleague and shoes are left at the door of mosques.

Former US President George W. Bush was subjected to the same insult in Iraq in 2008 when an Iraqi journalist threw both his shoes at him.

"The man was close to the podium and threw the shoe but it didn't reach him," said one witness, saying the incident appeared to shock the dozens of officials gathered for the conference on strategic planning for governing Sudan.

Three witnesses inside the Friendship Hall in Khartoum, all of whom asked not to be named, confirmed the incident. They said the man was in his late 40s or early 50s, was well dressed and said nothing.

"He seemed calm, even after he was arrested," said another witness.

Witnesses said journalists at the event had recording equipment and cameras taken from them by security guards after the incident.

Asked for comment, presidential spokesman Emad Sidahmed said: "The man just wanted to give the president a note... but was intercepted by the security."

State news agency Suna identified the man as northerner Adil Mohamed Fathalrahman Mahjoub.

"The citizen suffered from an anti-social complex, he had no political affiliations and a number of his family members hold governmental positions," SUNA said.