. | . |
Egypt knew about Sudan convoy strike at the time: FM Cairo (AFP) April 2, 2009 Egypt knew about air strikes on convoys in Sudan early this year that were said to be carrying weapons destined for Gaza but remained silent to avoid embarrassing Sudan, state news agency MENA reported on Thursday. Egypt knew about the attacks, thought to have been carried out by Israel, "from when they happened" but it "did not want to embarrass the brothers in Sudan," Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit was quoted as saying. "The foreign act against Sudan is denounced and our response to it must be strong," he said, adding that Egypt was informed that there were two separate strikes and that Egypt was unaware of how Israel would have carried them out. "There is much the Arab League and Sudan can do, and it was possible for Sudan to present a complaint to the United Nations Security Council," he said. The remarks were included in the transcript of an Egyptian television interview with Abul Gheit. Sudan had confirmed reports last week that two air strikes targeted convoys in northern Sudan, one in January and one in February. US media have quoted American and Israeli officials as saying Israeli aircraft attacked a weapon convoy destined for Gaza, which is ruled by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The reports gave conflicting accounts on the number of strikes. Israel, which fought a devastating 22-day war with Hamas in Gaza over the new year, is determined to stop weapons smuggling into the enclave. It declared a ceasefire only after receiving international assurances of cooperation to end the smuggling. Hamas has denied that the alleged convoys were destined for the movement. Egypt has also denied that weapons are smuggled through its territory into Gaza although it has taken robust measures to close a network of smuggling tunnels, mostly used for food and fuel, linking it to Gaza. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Africa News - Resources, Health, Food
Lagos megacity: facelifting a slum Lagos (AFP) March 27, 2009 The first thing that used to hit visitors to Nigeria's commercial hub was a gridlock of rusty yellow buses and the tumbledown stalls of the vast Oshodi market -- the whole amid the unrelenting din of horns, sirens and vendors. |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |