Juba, March 4, 2019 (SSNA) — Israel’s Defense Ministry has summoned a retired Israeli Maj. General over an alleged weapons sale to the government of South Sudan, the Jerusalem Post reports, citing Israeli Channel 13.
Israel Ziv, a retired Maj. Gen. with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was sanctioned in December last year by the United States along with two South Sudanese officials. The US accused the three men of exploiting the ongoing civil war for profit. The US alleged in the document that the ex-IDF General sold rifles, grenade launchers, and shoulder-fired rockets to South Sudan’s government.
The report says Israel Defense Ministry wants to know if the ex-general did in fact sold weapons and ammunition worth $150 million dollars as alleged by the US government.
The United States asserted in its statement last year that the former head of IDF’s Operations Directorate with South Sudanese government cooked-up a plan to shield his true intention by acting as a legitimate investor in South Sudan’s agricultural projects.
“Ziv used an agricultural company that was nominally present in South Sudan to carry out agricultural and housing projects for the Government of South Sudan as a cover for the sale of approximately $150 million worth of weapons to the government, including rifles, grenade launchers and shoulder-fired rockets,” the U.S. Treasury Department explained.
General Israel was also accused of constantly bribing senior South Sudanese government officials to secure their support.
The United States also says companies like Global N.T.M Ltd., Global Law Enforcement and Security Ltd., and Global IZ Group Ltd are owned by the retired general and has since blocklist them.