Libyan PM arrives in Khartoum, Sudan

Prime Minister Abdullah Al Thinni arrived in Khartoum on Monday for an official three-day visit, at the invitation of Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir. According to a statement issued by the Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, the visit “aims to promote and push forward the bilateral relations in all fields. The Sudanese president and the Libyan prime minister will hold joint talks, and discuss ways to strengthen peace in Libya.” The Libyan delegation will also meet the president of the Employers’ Union, Saud El Bereir, and a number of managers of Sudanese companies to discuss ways to develop economic and trade relations between the two countries, the statement said. The visit of prime minister Abdullah Al Thinni comes amid Libyan accusations that Sudan is supporting Islamist insurgents in the country. Late September, Libyan army officers intercepted a Sudanese convoy with Yemeni fighters at El Kufra on the Sudanese-Libyan border. On 6 September, a Sudanese military aircraft was grounded at El Kufra airport, “laden with weapons bound for rebels”. The week before, the Sudanese military attaché in Tripoli was declared persona non grata, after being accused of supporting Libyan militia groups. File photo by Ashraf Shazly/AFP Related: Libyan commander accuses Sudan of supporting Islamist militias (30 September 2014)