Sudan denies allegations it shipped weapons to Libya

June 8, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The spokesperson for the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF),al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad, has denied accusations that his country sent weapons to Libyan Islamist militias.

“The relations between Sudan and Libya and particularly the military [one] is now at its best and proof is the big military cooperation in the field of training,” SAF spokesperson said before noting that dozens of Libyan trainees are enrolled in Karari military college.

Col. Sa’ad also recalled that Libya and Sudan have joint border forces to combat human traffickers and terrorists.

Colonel Mohamed al-Hejazi, spokesperson to ex-general Khalifa Heftar forces, told Cairo-based al-Youm al-Sabe’ newspaper this week that the latest shipment arrived on Friday morning at Meetiga military base airport.

He said these weapons have already been delivered to a militia loyal to Abdul Hakim Belhaj adding that Qatar funds these shipments.

This week, the newspaper quoted unnamed sources as saying that Belhaj himself travelled to Sudan for meetings with officials there to coordinate logistics for Qatari aid.

Khartoum has not commented on reports of Belhaj’s visit.

Heftar’s rise came after he claimed that his forces represent the legitimate Libyan army and has managed to win the support of military units inside Benghazi for his offensive against the jihadists which he labelled as Operation Karama (dignity).

The Libyan government, however, accused him of trying to stage a coup but Heftar says that these militias have wreaked havoc in the North African nation.

Libya has been plagued by political infighting, with government and parliament unable to control militias that have continued to defy state authority since ousting Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

(ST)