Libya’s new masters are thankful for Sudan’s military support
* Article
* Comments (6)
email Email
print Print
pdfSave
separation
increase
decrease
separation
separation
*
*
*
*
August 28, 2011 (KHARTOUM) — The head of Libya’s National Transitional
Council (NTC) confirmed reports about Sudan’s military support to the
Libyan rebels in their fight against Gaddafi’s regime. He further
thanked Bashir’s government and pledged to return the favour on a much
larger scale.
JPEG - 14.2 kb
Libyan NTC leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil answers questions during a press
conference in Rome on April 19, 2011 (Getty)
Mustafa Abdul Jalil, met on Saturday with the foreign minister Ali
Ahmed Karti, the second Sudanese official to visit Benghazi in less
than a week after the director of Sudanese intelligence and security
services. The official news agency Suna said the minister handed him a
message from the Sudanese president Omer al-Bashir.
Speaking to the press following the meeting, the NTC chairman
expressed the gratitude of the Libyan opposition to the Sudanese
government for the support provided in their fight against the regime
of the Colonel Muammar Gaddafi during the past six months.
"It is time to announce that Sudan provided military support to the
revolutionaries," Jalil said adding that this support helped them to
"liberate some cities, such as the city of Kufra" in the remote
southeastern desert.
The Daily Telegraph reported last July that the Sudanese army
controlled Kufra citing British officials monitoring the no-fly zone
enforces by NATO over Libya. But Khartoum was quick to dismiss the
report. However it is clear today that Sudan played a role in the
seizure of this town by the rebels.
"Our surveillance shows that they are not moving oil, so its not about
money in the short term," the source told the London based daily
newspaper.
Sudan since several months emitted regular complaints about Tripoli’s
support to Darfur rebel groups. The attack of May 2008, and the
presence of the leader of Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in the
Libyan capital despite Khartoum’s repeated requests to expel him,
motivated Khartoum’s decision to back the Libyan rebels.
Amin Hassan Omer, government top negotiator in the Doha peace process
and newly tasked with Darfur file, last Friday disclosed in a radio
talk show that Sudan and Qatar were coordinating their efforts to
support the Libyan rebels.
He further said one of the visits of President Bashir to the Qatari
capital was dedicated to talks on the support of Libyan rebels . Qatar
which was the first Arab nation to declare its support to the Libyan
armed opposition, participates with six Mirages and two C-17s
transports in the international coalition against Gaddafi’s regime.
Karti told reporters that Sudanese were very happy than with the fall
of Gaddafi’s regime because "Sudan is hurt by Gaddafi more than any
other country after the Libyan people".
He also called for a joint cooperation to control and monitor the
border between the two countries. In return, the head of the Libyan
new authority reiterated swiftly the determination of his
administration to work together with Khartoum in the monitoring of
boundary and to develop strong relations with the Sudan.
After securing the Chadian and Center African borders with Darfur,
Khartoum considers vital for the fight against the Darfurian rebellion
to control the northern border of the restive region.
(ST)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "JFD
info" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
[email protected].
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/jfdinfo?hl=en.
