Syrian rebels receive heavy weapons from Sudan
Damascus
(AsiaNews / Agencies) - Small arms, anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft
defense systems are just some of the weapons being sent to Syrian rebels by the
Sudanese government. According
to a recently published analysis, most of the weapons are made in China. To
circumvent the embargo the Khartoum government sends the container to Qatar,
who channels it to the militias with the complicity of the Turkish government.
The
main funders of the material are: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Saudi
Arabia. When
asked about the case, the Sudanese officials repeatedly denied any involvement
in the Syrian civil war. Sid
Imad Ahmad Hassam spokesman for President Omar al-Bashir, said that "Sudan
has never sent weapons to Syria." Sawarmi
Khalid Al-Saad, a spokesman for the Sudanese Armed Forces, added: "We have no interest in supporting groups in
Syria, especially if the outcome of the fighting is not clear. These
allegations are meant to harm our relations with countries Sudan has good
relations with".
The
continued sale of arms to the Syrian rebels and the Assad army - which is
pitting leading Arab states, Turkey and now the United States for the rebels
and Russia and Iran for Assad - makes any return
to diplomatic approach to stop the civil war increasingly uncertain, a war which
so far has cost the lives of over 100 thousand people in two years.
Despite
its open military support to the Assad government, Moscow is pushing for a
peace conference in Syria. In
recent days, Gennady Gatilov, deputy Russian foreign minister, said that talks
between the various parties are expected by the end of August, in preparation
for the Geneva 2 conference, which aims to bring the leaders of the rebellion and members of the Assad government to the
same table. According
to the diplomat, the meeting will be held most likely in October.
The Arab
League and the United States remain skeptical. Iran,
the Assad family's greatest supporter should also participate at the conference.
Added to the Iranian problem, are increasing divisions within the over 60 rebel
factions, comprised at least 50% by foreign Islamist militants. They
are fighting against the rebels secular wing, with an aim to building an
Islamic state in Syria and not a republic. For
this reason they have no interest in putting an end to the bloodshed.
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