Libya violates UN ban on air travel
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from April 1997.
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Libyan television late Sunday showed Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir boarding the flight in the Libyan coastal town of Sirte for the trip to Sudan. The broadcast was monitored by the BBC in London.
El-Bashir was in Libya to hold talks with Ugandan officials.
The UN Security Council in 1992 imposed sanctions on Libya to try to force the North African nation to surrender two Libyans wanted in connection with the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people.
The sanctions limit diplomatic contacts, prohibit arms sales and ban flights to and from the country.
For three years running, Libya has violated the air travel ban by flying pilgrims on the annual hajj, or pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia's holy cities. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has at least twice travelled from the country by plane in defiance of the sanctions. Libya contends the sanctions are unfair and cannot be applied to the pilgrimage or official flights.
Following Libya's lead, Iraq flew pilgrims to Saudi Arabia last week for the hajj. It was Iraq's first violation of UN air sanctions since they were imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
Sudan has repeatedly accused Uganda of helping Sudanese rebels, who El-Bashir also held private talks with Gadhafi, the BBC said, quoting Libyan television.
