How Sudan foiled coup attempt

Sudan has foiled a Libyan attempt to engineer a plot against Sudanese President Jaafar Nimeiry, reports Monitor contributor James Dorsey. In a joint press conference with visiting Egyptian Presient Hosni Mubarak, Mr. Nimeiry revealed that Libyan plans to stage a coup had been thwarted four to five weeks ago. His statement was the first Sudanese confirmation of US reports about a Libyan-sponsored plot.

Several weeks ago, Mr. Nimeiry said, Sudan intercepted a ship with Libyan arms bound for supporters of Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qaddafi in Sudan. Colonel Qaddafi, the Sudanese President went on to say, also told his supporters in Sudan that Libyan TU-22 supersonic bombers would attack military and civilian airports here on the morning of Feb. 18. The President went on to confirm that supporters of Colonel Qaddafi in Sudan had been arrested.

President Mubarak, meanwhile, revealed that two Libyan fighter planes from the oasis of Kufra, where Libya is reported to be massing air units, recently violated Egyptian air space. The Libyan planes were intercepted by Egyptian fighter jets.

The two Presidents declared a ''giant alliance'' between them, and vowed to act together to repel outside intervention.