This decision made by the Saudi government can cause a big diplomatic scandal because it is well known that Jonathan’s administration aims at ending the insurgency in the North-east before the 2015 election.
Goodluck Jonathan has given the permission to military authorities to procure arms from alternative sources such as Pakistan and Russia other than Nigeria’s traditional allies led by the United States of America, United Kingdom and France.
According to ThisDay’s source, the decision was premised on Nigeria’s displeasure with the US after the country blocked the sale of American-manufactured Cobra attack helicopters from Israel.
he source says: “Getting the equipment into Nigeria immediately has run into a hitch owing to Saudi Arabia’s refusal to grant the cargo planes that will convey the arms over-flight permits through its airspace. We got permission to fly through Sudan and other countries but have been blocked by Saudi Arabia, which has impeded the urgency of the operation.”
It should be noted that all countries have their own regulations regarding the issuance of flight permits. And the source says that religious undertonesin Saudi Arabia might be the reason.
“Nigeria has always had close ties to Saudi Arabia, but with a war that has a religious slant, we may not be able to rule it out. But what I can say for certain is that this would lead to diplomatic tensions between both countries,” he said.
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