Sudan denies RSF’s participation in Libya’s armed conflict
November 9, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese army Saturday strongly denied the participation of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militiamen in the ongoing fighting in Libya alongside Haftar Armed Forces against the forces of the UN-recognized government.
According to al-Jazeera TV, a recent confidential report by the Panel of Experts of the International Sanctions Committee on Libya accused the RSF commander and member of the Sovereign Council of dispatching 1000 militiamen to eastern Libyan in July.
“Hemetti sent Sudanese troops to Benghazi in order to enable the forces of renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar to attack the capital Tripoli,” the report stressed.
Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) Spokesman Brigadier General Aamer Mohamed al-Hassan told the Sudanese Tiba TV that “these claims come within the framework of the systematic cunning against national institutions against the national institutions”.
He further pointed out that the Rapid Support Forces are working according to international and UN conventions and that the Sudanese army is striving to enhance their capacities.
The military spokesman went further to say that the Sudanese army is not a security company to be at this level (of mercenarism) as stated in the alleged UN report, stressing that the army will not pay heed to such rumours.
The report is expected to be debated by the Security Council’s sanctions committee on Libya at the end of the month. After what it will be released for the public in December.
The AFP which, also obtained the report said that the 85-page report mentions “the presence of Chadian and Sudanese armed groups in support of forces affiliated” with Sarraj and Haftar”.
In a statement released on 5 September, UN Spokesperson issued a statement saying UN Security Council sanction committee on Libya held a meeting with diplomats from Algeria, Bahrain, Chad, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Malta, Morocco, Niger, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
The Committee members during the meeting “addressed various aspects of the sanctions regime, emphasizing, in particular, their concern about the ongoing violations of the arms embargo and the need to fully and effectively implement the sanction measures,” said the statement.
(ST)