Sudan says participation in Yemen war “moral commitment”
May 28, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Defence Minister Awad Ibn Ouf said his countries participation in the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen is an ethical commitment.
The Sudanese army has been participating in the Saudi-led military coalition since 2015 in a regional effort to back the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after he was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels.
On Monday, Ibn Ouf discussed with the Saudi Ambassador to Khartoum Ali bin Hassan Jaafar prospects of cooperation between the two countries.
In a press release on Monday, the Defence Ministry said the meeting aimed to follow-up on the implementation of the outcome of the recent visit of the Saudi Assistant Minister of Defence Mohammad Abdullah Alayeesh to Khartoum.
During his visit to Khartoum on Wednesday, Alayeesh briefed the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on the military developments in the Yemen war.
In a statement released after the meeting, the presidency said al-Bashir reassured the visiting Saudi official that the Sudanese troops would continue to fight Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen despite the tough economic situation in the country.
The Sudanese president further pointed to Sudan’s declared position to “defend the land of the Two Holy Mosques’’.
Earlier this month, State Defence Minister Ali Mohamed Salim said his ministry was evaluating pros and cons of the participation in the Yemen war in order to decide on it soon.
Al-Bashir has been under pressure to withdraw his troops from Yemen because Gulf countries particularly Saudi Arabia do not provide financial support to the country to overcome its economic crisis.
(ST)