Pakistani warship docks in Sudan’s port

November 29, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – A Pakistani warship arrived on Thursday at Sudan’s Red Sea port of Port Sudan as part of what the authorities described as routine visits while the planned arrival of Iranian warships “for the same purpose” was postponed until next week.

The official spokesperson of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Colonel Al-Sawarmi Khalid Sa’ad, said that the arrival of the Pakistani navy ship “Shashmir” comes within the framework of combating piracy and routine and usual work of the Sudanese navy forces.

Sa’ad used the same comment to describe the arrival in Port Sudan of two Iranian warships in late October, one week after a Sudanese military factory rumored to be linked to Tehran was hit in an airstrike Khartoum accused Israel of conducting.

The arrival of Iranian warships attracted attention to military cooperation between the East African country and Iran which Israel considers its top enemy while viewing Sudan as a conduit of weapons smuggling into the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.

Al-Sawarmi told Sudan official news agency (SUNA) that the arrival of the Pakistani warship comes also within the framework of naval cooperation with navy forces from all countries in the world.

He added that part of the reason why the warship was to receive fuel and logistical supplies.

Al-Sawarmi announced that the planned arrival in Port Sudan of two Iranian warships “for the same purpose” was delayed for reasons concerning the Iranian side.

(ST)