Tuesday, April 7, 2009 Israel plans to strengthen ties with Sudan rebels TEL AVIV — Israel has approved plans to expand relations with rebel movements in Sudan Israeli sources said the plans would focus on collaboration with rebel forces in the war-torn Darfour province, Middle East Newsline reported. The rebels were said to have helped Israel track a Hamas weapons convoy through Sudan in January 2009. The convoy, struck near the Egyptian-Sudanese border, was destroyed by a fleet of Israel Air Force F-15 and F-16 fighter-jets as well as unmanned aerial vehicles. "Relations with Darfour rebels are not new," an Israeli source said. In February 2009, the head of the Sudanese Liberation Movement arrived in Israel and met with government representatives. The sources said Abdul Wahid Al Nour arrived in Israel and met Defense Ministry political-military bureau director Amos Gilad, regarded as the top envoy of Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Al Nour also attended the annual strategic Herzliya Conference. He did not address the gathering. "The leader of one of the rebel groups in Sudan's Darfour region visited Israel to request its support in the rebel fight against the Sudanese government," the Israeli daily Haaretz said. Al Nour was also said to have met senior officials of Israel's Mossad espionage agency, including director Meir Dagan. The Mossad had been assigned to track Hamas weapons convoys through Sudan. The Sudanese Liberation Movement, founded in 1992, has been fighting the Khartoum regime in Darfour since 2001. Six year later, Al Nour fled to France and began organizing support in Europe for the rebellion. At least 600 Darfour residents have fled Sudan and settled in Israel. The government has granted them asylum and the right to work in Israel. The sources said Israel has long maintained relations with rebel groups in Sudan. But until a few years ago those relations were limited to non-Arab forces in southern Sudan that had waged a 20-year war for independence. "In the interests of national security, various meetings are held," the Defense Ministry said after the Al Nour-Gilad meeting. "We are not in the habit of responding after each of these meetings." http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/af_sudan0279_04_07.asp
