Pakistan has canceled the defense deal with Sudan.
Pakistan has canceled the deal of supply of arms and jets to Sudan worth 1.5 billion dollars i.e. 42 thousand crore Pakistani rupees. This step has been taken following the request of Saudi Arabia in which it had said to cancel this agreement and not to provide funding for its purchase. The ongoing conflict between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary force ‘Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) has given rise to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis for the last three years. This conflict has now become the center of conflict between various foreign interests and there is a danger that this country located on the Red Sea coast – which is a major producer of gold – could break apart.
Reuters first reported in January that the deal was in its final stages and was brokered by Saudi Arabia. However, at that time there was no mention of any kind of funding from Riyadh. This deal was one of the many defense deals that the Pakistani Army was negotiating. These deals had gained momentum due to the prominence given to Pakistan Army’s jet aircraft and weapon systems after the clashes with India in May last year.
Saudi asked Pakistan to step back
Saudi Arabia is one of Pakistan’s closest allies and has served as a main source of many important loans and funding for Islamabad’s struggling economy. Since the signing of a ‘Mutual Defense Agreement’ between the two countries last year, their relations have deepened further. Under this agreement, an attack on any one country will be considered an attack on both countries. One of the security sources said that Saudi Arabia has indicated that Pakistan should cancel this deal, because it has now given up the idea of funding it.
The Saudi government media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sudan’s armed forces also did not give any immediate response in this regard. The Pakistani military, too, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. The Army and the Air Force had never before confirmed that such a deal was under consideration.
European countries’ advice to Saudi and UAE
The source further said that some Western countries had advised Riyadh to keep itself away from the ‘proxy wars’ going on in Africa. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have supported each other’s opposing sides in conflict-torn countries across the region—including Sudan. Although both sides claim that they support a diplomatic solution to the conflict, Saudi Arabia has openly supported Sudan’s army. At the same time, the UAE has been accused of providing logistical support to the RSF—although the UAE has officially denied this allegation.
The source said that as a result of a meeting between Sudanese military leaders and Saudi officials in Riyadh in March, the decision was taken to end Saudi Arabia’s funding for the deal. Another $4 billion deal with the Libyan National Army, reported by Reuters in December, was also in jeopardy as the Saudis “rethink their strategy” in the two countries, a second security source said.
