Libyan authorities detain Sudanese consul in Benghazi
April 8, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – Libyan authorities have taken the Sudanese general consul in Benghazi Abdel-Halim Omer into custody and took him to an unidentified location, Sudan’s foreign ministry said today.
The ministry spokesperson Ali al-Sadiq told reporters that Omer was inspecting conditions of Sudanese nationals imprisoned in the Libyan city of al-Bayda when he was detained by police there.
He said they don’t know the reason behind his arrest, underscoring that the foreign ministry is engaged in intensive efforts to secure his release.
Al-Sadiq said that they immediately summoned the Libyan ambassador to Khartoum Mohamed Soula and demanded the swift and unconditional release of the consul, describing the incident as a clear violation of the international customs.
According to al-Sadiq, the director of bilateral and regional department at the ministry, Dafa’allah al-Hag, has conveyed to the Libyan ambassador Khartoum’s dismay at the targeting of Sudanese diplomats in Libya.
The spokesperson further described the incident as a clear violation of international law, emphasising that this kind of behavior doesn’t reflect bilateral ties between Khartoum and Tripoli.
“Khartoum condemns in the strongest terms this reprehensible behaviour,” he said.
But the Libyan Undersecretary of foreign affairs Hassan al-Sagheer accused the detained diplomat of conducting “suspicious and illegal tours” in East Libyan areas without permission.
He explained to Turkey’s Anadoul news agency that the diplomat’s visit to the prison he named as Garnada drew suspicions of officials there because it is a military facility and a vital one.
Al-Sagheer said that the diplomat is detained pending a decision by the government pending orders on his release adding that he is in good health.
Late last March, an unknown group had detained the economic attaché at the Sudanese embassy in Libya for two weeks.
Sudan has been accused of supporting Libya’s Islamist militias that are currently in
control of Tripoli.
Last September, Libya’s internationally recognised prime minister Abdullah al-Thinni said Sudan had attempted to airlift weapons and ammunition to the new rulers in Tripoli.
Khartoum denied this, saying the weapons were meant for the joint border force.
In an interview with the Abu Dhabi-based Sky News Arabic last February, Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir emphasised that his country recognises the Libyan government based in Tobruk.
He said his government seeks to utilise its ties with the Islamic groups in Tripoli to achieve national reconciliation and stop the war in Libya.
“We are making efforts along with Libya’s neighbouring countries to make use of our relations to resolve the Libyan crisis. We do not take sides in the ongoing struggle in Libya, we are against the war and for the Libyan unity,” he said.
(ST)