By Farah Waleed.
Tripoli, 6 September 2014:
It is now becoming clear that today’s government demand for the departure of the Sudanese military attaché follows the discovery . . .[restrict]weapons and ammunition on board a Sudanese military transport, two days ago when it landed in Kufra to refuel.
Initially, the local military commander at Kufra, who also heads the Libyan side of the joint Sudanese-Libyan border force created last year, was quoted by the Tripoli-based news agency LANA as saying the weapons were for his men.
The government is now asserting that the arms and ammunition had not been requested by any official authority. Instead it is maintaning that proof was found, presumably on the Sudanese aircraft, that it and its cargo were destined for Mitiga, now the only operating airport in Tripoli.
“Such actions implicate the Sudanese government as a party that supports a terrorist group with weapons” said the government statement this evening.“These actions also represent a clear violation of international resolutions and the latest UN Security Council resolution banning the supply of arms to Libya”.
The plane flew to Libya shortly after Nuri Abu Sahmain, the president of the former General National Congress, visited Sudan and held talks with its government.
It is not yet clear what has become of the Sudanese military transport plane, thought to be a four turbo-prop Antonov An-12, nor its crew, which probably numbered four.
It is equally unclear what action the government might take to ensure that the military attaché in fact leaves the Sudanese embassy in capital while Tripoli is now controlled by rival Libya Dawn forces.
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