Sudan says raid on Ethiopian diplomat house was not intentional
October 24, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese foreign ministry has expressed regret to his Ethiopian counterpart over police raid on the residence an Ethiopian diplomat in Khartoum and the arrest of his sister. A diplomat said the incident was not intentional.
Sudanese security agents stormed the home of the Ethiopian military attaché in Khartoum and detained his sister during a party he was holding. They explained their action saying some of the people in the party violated the laws because of liquor that was being served.
The alcohol is officially banned in northern Sudan where the Sharia law is applied.
“The foreign ministry officially apologised to the Ethiopian embassy and Foreign Minister Deng Alor phoned the Ethiopian foreign minister to apologise for what happened,” said ministry official Ali Yousuf.
Sudanese police, apparently unaware that the unmarked residence belonged to a foreign diplomat, raided the home of the Ethiopian military attaché this week while the diplomat was out.
“The police confiscated the alcohol and took the lady, who said she was his sister,” said Yousuf.
Following contact with the Ethiopian embassy, foreign ministry officials went to the police station and secured the woman’s immediate release, the Sudanese official said.
The incident is the latest of series of recently setbacks in Sudanese-Ethiopian relations. Khartoum is angry at Addis Ababa for allegedly supplying arms to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS).
Earlier this month it was reported that an Ethiopian military plane arrived at Juba airport with weapons to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA).
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassadors of Ethiopia to protest the shipment. However the Ethiopian government said the weapons were for a military show.
However the Sudanese diplomat turned down any link between the police raid and the weapon shipment to Juba. He said the raid was “not intentional” and a “mistake”.
“This (raid) is an isolated incident that has nothing to do with the weapons in the south. We have strategic relations with Ethiopia and we have full respect for all Ethiopian diplomats,” said Yousuf.
Diplomatic sources said police confiscated between 50 and 60 bottles of alcohol from the Ethiopian diplomat’s home.
(ST)
DAVID N.
Sudan says raid on Ethiopian diplomat house was not intentional
This is a sad story of over Ethiopian diplomat in Northern Sudan.
First of all, these Ethiopian diplomat with knowing in the Northern Sudan, serving alcohol in the public party, they even shouldn’t brake the law of sovereign states of Northern Sudanese governments.
If they (Ethiopians) made this type of mistake intended against Northern Sudanese States Governments, they should know what they are doing against the LAW, they should deported immediately to it’s country.
You can’t trust them anyways!
DAVID N.