Saudi forces Iran bound Bashir back to Khartoum

Saudi forces Iran bound Bashir back to Khartoum

Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir sits as he meets with South Africa's former president and Ethiopian Foreign Minister on July 25, 2013 in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. A plane carrying the Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir has been denied access into the air space of Saudi Arabia in its way to Iran. The Sudanese presidency disclosed on Sunday.

By MOHAMMED AMIN
Posted Monday, August 5 2013 at 10:01

In Summary

• “The Saudi authorities refused to give the plane carrying President Bashir permission to cross their airspace," Bashir's presidential press secretary Emad Seed Ahmed, told journalist in Khartoum.
• The Saudi Arabian government has no comment on the incident until now. The Sudanese-Iranian ties have been of concern to Riyadh which has historical and political sensitivity with Tehran.

A plane carrying the Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir has been denied access into the air space of Saudi Arabia on its way to Iran. The Sudanese presidency disclosed on Sunday.

Al-Bashir was travelling to Tehran to attend the swearing in ceremony of the new Iranian President Hasan Rouhani.

“The Saudi authorities refused to give the plane carrying President Bashir permission to cross their airspace," Bashir's presidential press secretary Emad Seed Ahmed, told journalist in Khartoum.

“When Bashir's plane entered Saudi airspace the pilot informed authorities that it had approval and that it was carrying President Bashir, but they said the plane didn't have permission," forcing it to return to Khartoum, Seed Ahmed added.

The Saudi Arabian government has no comment on the incident until now. The Sudanese-Iranian ties have been of concern to Riyadh which has historical and political sensitivity with Tehran.

Two arrest warrants have been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Bashir since 2009 for crimes against humanity over the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region.