Sudan's embattled president, Omar al Bashir, says his government has rejected Kenya Airways' bid to transit Sudanese airspace for flights to Israel.
"We received a request to use our airspace for flights to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion, but the request did not come from El Al Israel Airlines, but from Kenya Airways - we refused," he said in an interview with a local Sudanese television station.
Kenya Airways was not immediately available for comment.
According to The Times of Israel, Al Bashir, who has been trying to put down violent protests against his 30-year rule since December, said in a speech to final religious leaders last week that "various sources" had advised him to normalize relations with Israel - in order to improve the situation in the country. However, he did not specify who they were.
Al Bashir then continued to attack Israel, declaring that its strength lies not in the military and material realm, but in its ability to weaken and demoralize its enemies. According to him, Israel was in the midst of a well planned and executed operation to destroy the Arab states in its vicinity. He also accused Israel of supporting protestors and of being the primary cause of Sudan's economic and diplomatic isolation.
In December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed progress had been made with Sudanese authorities concerning El Al's access to its airspace for flights to/from South America.
