KHARTOUM: A Khartoum court condemned four Islamists to death yesterday for the 2008 killing of a US diplomat and his Sudanese driver, as the US Embassy warned of possible retaliation over the verdict.

Judge Said Ahmed Al-Badri sentenced the four to be hanged for the murders. A fifth man, who had provided the other defendants with the weapon but did not take part in the murder, was sentenced to two years in prison.

John Granville, 33, who worked for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and his 40-year-old Sudanese driver Abdel Rahman Abbas were shot dead in their car in Khartoum on Jan. 1, 2008.

“God is Great! Long live Justice!” cried the sister of one defendant when the verdict was announced.

The four men remained silent inside the courtroom as they were escorted out by police.

Just before the sentence was read out and in line with Islamic law, the judge asked the driver’s family whether they forgave the defendants, sought compensation from them, or wanted to see the death penalty enforced. They opted for the latter.

One of the four condemned men is the son of a leader of pacifist Islamist group Ansar Al-Sunna.

A group calling itself Ansar Al-Tawhid had claimed the New Year’s Day murder according to SITE, a US-based organization which monitors Islamist websites.

It said the murder was in response to attempts to raise the banner of Christianity over Sudan, the largest country in Africa.

Federal Bureau of Investigation officers from the United States had helped to investigate the killings which sent shockwaves through the sizeable Western community in Khartoum, a city usually considered one of the safest in Africa.

The US Embassy in Khartoum had urged personnel and citizens to keep a low profile if the court found the defendants guilty.

“Should the court announce guilty verdicts in this case on June 24, the reaction among the men’s supporters could include demonstrations at embassy Khartoum facilities and/or other anti-American, anti-Western actions,” it warned.

“US citizens are advised to avoid the Khartoum North courthouse, located in downtown Khartoum, maintain a low profile, and increase vigilance,” it said. Last week, Sudanese authorities killed a man close to the defendants. The US Embassy warned of a backlash.