Pakistan Halts $1.5B Sudan Arms Deal After Saudi Objection
Islamabad: Pakistan has suspended a $1.5 billion deal to supply arms and jets to Sudan after Saudi Arabia asked for the deal to be terminated and said it would not finance the purchase, two Pakistani security sources and a diplomatic source said.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has fueled the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in nearly three years; It has become a flashpoint for rival foreign interests and threatens to tear apart the Red Sea nation, a major gold producer.
Reuters first reported that the deal was in the final stages in January and brokered by Saudi Arabia, but no financing from Riyadh was announced at the time. The deal was among the defense sales negotiated by the Pakistani military after its jets and weapons systems came to the fore following clashes with India in May last year.
Saudi Arabia has been one of Pakistan’s closest allies and a critical source of credit and financing for Islamabad’s struggling economy. Their relations have deepened since the signing of a mutual defense agreement last year, which considers an attack on either to be an attack on both.
“Saudi Arabia has signaled that it should terminate the agreement after Pakistan abandoned the idea of financing it,” a security source said.
The Saudi government’s media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sudanese armed forces also did not immediately respond.
The Pakistani military did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The army and air force had not previously confirmed that a deal was in the works.
The source added that some Western countries have advised Riyadh to stay away from proxy wars in Africa.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have backed opposing sides in conflict-plagued countries in the region, including Sudan.
While both sides say they support a diplomatic solution to the conflict, Saudi Arabia has thrown its weight behind the Sudanese military while the UAE has been accused of providing logistical support to the RSF, a charge it officially denies.
A March meeting between Sudanese military leaders and Saudi officials in Riyadh resulted in the end of Saudi financing for the deal, the source said.
The second security source said another $4 billion deal with the Libyan National Army was also in jeopardy because the Saudis were “rethinking their strategy” in both countries, Reuters reported in December.
