Sudan’s FVP to Libya for bilateral talks with new rulers

September 28, 2011 (KGARTOUM) — Sudan’s First Vice-President Ali Osman Taha is expected today in Tripoli for talks with Libya’s new ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) which is still facing fierce resistance from troops loyal to former leader Muammar Gaddafi.

A number of Sudanese official spoke recently about the possible transfer of weapons to Darfur. They say Gaddafi’s partisans and foreign combatants transported money and arms outside Libya with aim to keep fighting the new regime even if it control the whole country.

First Vice-President Taha Thursday will visit Libya for the first time since the fall of Gaddafi’s regime for talks on bilateral relations with Libyan officials. He leads a big delegation including director national intelligence and security services Mohamed Atta, minister of industry Awad al-Jaz and minister of information Kamal Obeid and state minister for foreign affairs Salah Wasni.

Sudan which was actively involved besides the international coalition that helped the ouster Muammar Gaddafi dispatched already Atta and foreign minister Ali Karti to Libya.

Khartoum is very concerned by the internal divisions among the new rulers as they failed to form a national unity government and reports speak about lack of coordination among the NTC fighters who suffered heavy losses in the ongoing clashes against forces loyal to Gaddafi in Sirte.

Khartoum is keen to reaffirm its important role in the fall of Gaddafi regime and to support a quick formation of a government in Tripoli where Libyan Islamists are part of the anti-Gaddafi opposition council.

Sudan accuses Gaddafi of supporting Darfur rebel groups. Khartoum said the former Libyan leader provided weapons to the rebel Justice and Equality Movement to attack the capital in May 2008. They also say he hosted JEM leader since Mai 2010 and refused to move him to another country.

(ST)