{"id":187173,"date":"2013-08-04T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-04T23:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dabangasudan.preview.websight.nl\/sudan-president-denied-saudi-fly-over-en-route-to-iran\/"},"modified":"2013-08-04T23:59:00","modified_gmt":"2013-08-04T23:59:00","slug":"sudan-president-denied-saudi-fly-over-en-route-to-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/sudan-president-denied-saudi-fly-over-en-route-to-iran","title":{"rendered":"Sudan President denied Saudi fly-over en route to Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"

A charter aircraft carrying Sudan\u2019s President Omar Al Bashir and a delegation of Ministers to Iranian capital Tehran to attend Sunday\u2019s inauguration ceremony of Iran\u2019s President Hassan Rouhani, has been denied over-flight rights by Saudi Arabian authorities and forced to return to Khartoum.<\/p>\n

Reports confirmed by multiple news agencies, as well as the Sudanese government, state that the Saudi-registered aircraft with a non-Sudanese crew circled on the periphery of Saudi airspace for an hour on Saturday while attempting to negotiate over-flight clearance. While the aircraft had obtained prior authorisation, this was reportedly withdrawn when the pilots announced that Al Bashir was on board.<\/p>\n

Sudan\u2019s presidential press secretary, Emad Sayed Ahmed, told Agence France Presse (AFP): \u201cThe Saudi authorities refused to give the plane carrying President Al Bashir permission to cross their airspace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ahmed said that when Al Bashir\u2019s plane entered Saudi airspace the pilot informed authorities that it had approval and that it was carrying Sudan\u2019s leader. The plane circled inside Saudi airspace for an hour seeking to negotiate approval but to no avail.<\/p>\n

Al Bashir\u2019s delegation included Minister for the Presidency, Gen Bakri Hassan Saleh, Foreign Minister Ali Karti, Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdel Halim Al Mutahafi, Investment Minister Dr Mustapha Ismail Ziralastosmar, and intelligence director Mohamed Atta.<\/p>\n

The occurrence follows shortly after Al Bashir\u2019s hasty return to Khartoum after withdrawing early from an African Union (AU) health summit in the Nigerian capital Abuja last month. During his visit, the International Criminal Court (ICC) called for his immediate arrest.<\/p>\n

President Al Bashir, indicted by the ICC on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, is subject to international arrest warrants. Saudi Arabia, however, is not party to the ICC statute. In June 2011, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan refused over-flight permission for Al Bashir, who was embarking on a state visit.<\/p>\n

Saudi Arabia has voiced concerns about Sudan\u2019s close ties with Iran, especially when Sudan twice allowed Iranian warships to dock in Port Sudan last year, which drew concern from the USA and its allies in the Gulf.<\/p>\n

In an editorial last November entitled The fall of masks between Iran and Sudan<\/em>, the Saudi pro-government Al Riyadh<\/em> newspaper criticised Khartoum over allowing entry to the Iranian warships, saying there is no \u201clogical justification\u201d for a relationship between the two countries.<\/p>\n

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Araqchi was quoted by the ISNA news agency as calling the latest Saudi move barring Al Bashir from their airspace as \u201cvery unfortunate\u201d, adding that \u201cTehran is investigating\u201d.<\/p>\n

Chopper makes emergency landing<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a separate aviation-related incident, a helicopter had to make an emergency landing in South Darfur on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Minni Minawi, leader the Sudan Liberation Movement \u2013 Minni Minawi (SLM-MM) faction, which is aligned to the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF), told Radio Dabanga that a technical fault forced the helicopter to set down in \u201ca part of South Darfur controlled by the movement\u201d.<\/p>\n

Minawi said that the aircraft, with its crew of three, which include a Sudanese national and two Ukrainians, is operated of the Gulf Cooperation Committee (GCC) Helicopter Safety Team and \u201cworking with Unamid\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said that the movement is currently in contact with the company and that \u201cthe aircraft and crew will be released immediately following the investigation\u201d.<\/p>\n

File Photo: Sudan\u2019s President Omar Al Bashir (Flickr\/Ammar Abd Rabbo)<\/em><\/p>\n

Related:<\/em><\/p>\n

Sudan\u2019s President Al Bashir leaves AU health summit early as ICC calls for his arrest<\/a> (16 July 2013)<\/p>\n

ICC prosecutor reproaches UN for \u2018inaction and paralysis\u2019 on Darfur<\/a> (5 June 2013)<\/p>\n

HRW urges Chad to arrest Sudan President Bashir<\/a> (10 May 2013)<\/p>\n

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