Sudan Court Annuls Marriage of Five-Year-Old girl

A court in the Sudanese capital's twin city of Omdurman has annulled the marriage of a girl wed at the age of five to a man in his 40s, a rights group said Friday.

"The Omdurman north court, presided over by judge Nizar Ahmed Abdullah, on Thursday annulled the marriage of the girl, Ashjan Yousef," who is now eight, said Nahed Jabrallah, director of the Sima center for women's and children's rights, who brought the case to trial.

The marriage was scrapped because Sudanese law does not allow the marriage of girls under the age of 10.

Jabrallah said the two families had agreed the union would not be consummated until the girl turned 15 but the man wanted it brought forward, at which point the center was asked to intervene and take legal action.

Sudan often comes under strong criticism from human rights groups over its legislation allowing child marriages.