Pakistan is in the final phases of striking a $1.5 billion deal to supply weapons and jets to Sudan, a former top air force official and other sources told Reuters, promising a major boost for Sudan’s army, battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The deal with Pakistan covers 10 Karakoram-8 light attack aircraft, more than 200 drones for scouting and kamikaze attacks and advanced air defence systems, said two of the three sources with knowledge of the matter, who all sought anonymity. It was a “done deal”, said Aamir Masood, a retired Pakistani air marshal who continues to be briefed on air force matters.
Besides the Karakoram-8 jets, it includes Super Mushshak training aircraft and perhaps some coveted JF-17 fighters developed jointly with China and produced in Pakistan, he added, without giving figures or a delivery schedule.
Assistance from Pakistan, especially drones and jets, could help Sudan’s army regain the air supremacy it had towards the start of its war with the RSF, which has increasingly used drones to gain territory, eroding the army’s position.
The sources did not say how the deal was being funded but Masood said it was possible the finances would come from Saudi Arabia. One of the sources said the Saudis brokered the deal but added there was no indication they were paying for the weapons. Another source said Saudi Arabia was not providing funds.
Reuters has reported that Islamabad is in talks with Riyadh for a defence deal that could be worth between $2 billion and $4 billion. Masood said the weapons for Sudan could be included in such an agreement.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are part of the US-led quad grouping of nations that has tried to push Sudan’s army and the RSF towards peace talks.
On recent visits, Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan requested Saudi assistance in the war, according to Sudanese and Egyptian sources.
Last month, Islamabad struck a weapons deal worth more than $4 billion with the east-based Libyan National Army (LNA), officials said, for one of the South Asian nation’s largest arms sales, which includes JF-17 fighter jets and training aircraft.
Pakistan has also held talks with Bangladesh on a defence deal that could includes the Super Mushshak training jets and JF-17s, as ties improve ties with Dhaka.
