Sudan: Israel arming Darfur rebels Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:49:09 GMT http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=84418§ionid=351020504 An Israeli soldier covers his ears as a mobile artillery unit fires a shell towards Gaza in mid-January. Israel receives at least $2 billion a year in US weapons. Israel has supplied a rebel group involved in the Darfur conflict in Sudan with a considerable amount of weaponry, a new report says. The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) has received considerably heavy military logistical support from Israel, Sudan's state media reported on Sunday. The shipment has been sent through France, which is in charge of training military personal inside neighboring Chad, the Sudanese Media Center, a news outlet with links to Sudan's security service said. France maintains a 1,650 soldier mission to Chad as part of the EUFOR mission to protect refugees who have fled the conflict in Darfur in neighboring Sudan. The JEM which seized the city of Muhageriya about two weeks ago is considered Darfur's most powerful rebel group. The group managed to capture the city form forces loyal to the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction of Minni Minawi, which is the only rebel group to have signed a peace deal with Khartoum. Sudan accuses Chad of providing military and logistical support for the rebel group's attacks on Southern Darfur. Chad, however, blames Sudan for the creation of the Union of Resistance Forces, an umbrella group for the main Chadian rebel factions created in late January 2008. The two neighbors broke off diplomatic relations last year, with each accusing the other of supporting rebel assaults on their capitals. Although relations were re-established in November, ties still remain tense between the two central African nations. MT/DT / ======== Pirates receive $3.2M for Israeli ship Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:28:54 GMT http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=84529§ionid=351020501 The Israeli-owner of a Ukrainian-flagged arms-loaded ship held by Somali pirates pays 3.2 million dollars in return for the vessel's release. The MV Faina and its crew-- 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and one Latvian national-were captured on September 25 in the notorious Somali waters. The vessel was carrying with a cargo of 33 Soviet-type battle tanks, rocket launchers and ammunition, allegedly expected to reach rebels in the Sudanese violent Darfur region. On Tuesday, a plane from South Africa carrying $ 3.2 million dropped the demanded ransom onto the Faina upon an agreement between the pirates and the ship's owner, Press TV correspondent reported. The pirates said they will release the ship in a few hours, as soon as they count the sum and confirm there are no warships to hunt them. The news comes after the Israeli owner of the vessel had earlier refused to hold talks with the bandits, who had repeatedly threatened the lives of the crew members unless they were paid a multi-million ransom. The capture of the arms-laden ship four months ago triggered a controversy over the cargo's final destination. The pirates' spokesman Sugule Ali said in October that the ship was originally destined for Sudan using the Kenyan port city of Mombasa as a stopover. Sudan's state media also revealed the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Darfur's most powerful rebel group, has received considerably heavy military logistical support from Israel. MRS/DT
