Ethiopia Transported Weapons to Sudan Legally
The Claim
Ethiopia transported a shipment of weapons to Sudan intended for committing crimes against the state.
News posted on
Emerging story
A claim circulating on social media alleges that Ethiopia illegally loaded weapons on their national carrier, Ethiopian airline, and transported them to Sudan for criminal use. Some users claimed that the weapons were for ousted former dictator Omar Al Bashir loyalists to undermine the country’s security and obstruct the transition process and crimes against the state.
Misbar’s Analysis
MENA: The claim was found to be misleading. In contrast, Ethiopian Airlines did transport weapons to Khartoum illegally. Sudan News Agency (SUNA) had released an article that officials would be investigating the transfer of the weapons and suspected foul play. This spurred on false narratives and allegations, which led the airline to release a statement. Ethiopian Airlines refuted the accusation and posted that the shipment was legal hunting guns with all required documents. The Airline added that officials in Addis Ababa had done their due diligence and had even taken a long time to verify the weapons. This resulted in them being sued, which prompted the weapons delivery or faced a $250,000 fine.
Ethiopian Airlines went a step further to provide some of the documentation as proof of legality. The air waybill or consignment note can be seen below, which declares the content, country of origin, sender, and receiver information.
Furthermore, Sudan's interior ministry confirmed the shipment belonged to a licensed trader and had been checked and found to be legitimate. Given the findings, the Misbar team affirms that the claim is misleading. The weapons were found to be for an intended purpose, with all documentation included. This type of misinformation escalates the already tense relationship between the two neighboring countries.
