Sudan arrests opposition sewing machine smugglers .
KHARTOUM 1996-08-24
Sudanese police have arrested three people trying to smuggle sewing machines and army clothing to Sudanese opposition groups in Eritrea , an official newspaper reported on Saturday .
The government-owned al-Ingaz al-Watani said the smugglers were caught in Banat in the eastern state of Kassala , on the border with Eritrea , and had confessed they were on their way to " the so-called alliance forces which have been undertaking subversive operations on the eastern border " .
Authorities in Kassala said opposition forces based in Eritrea have been laying landmines and stealing vehicles and other goods to smuggle them across the border into Eritrea .
Sudan accuses the Eritrean authorities of providing support to Sudanese opposition elements based in Eritrea .
Eritrea cut diplomatic ties with Sudan in 1994 , accusing it of training rebels to make raids into Eritrea .
The exiled National Democratic Alliance , a Sudanese umbrella opposition group , has its headquarters in the Eritrean capital Asmara .
It uses the former Sudanese embassy .