Sudanese foreign minister has cancelled planned trip to Egypt following accusations by President Omar al-Bashir that Egypt is arming rebel groups to topple his government.
Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said in a statement on Sunday,“We told our brothers in Egypt about the postponement of the visit due to internal issues and it would take place later.”
Ghandour was supposed to travel to Cairo on Wednesday 31 May for follow-up talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on contentious issues discussed last April in Khartoum between the two officials.
However, Sudan’s FM avoided giving the details of the internal issues that triggered the cancellation of the visit.
The 31 May meeting between Ghandour and Shoukry was supposed to discuss the ban on Egyptian agricultural imports and visa requirements after the Sudanese government decision to re-establish visa for Egyptians.
In a speech to Sudanese military personnel last week, Bashir said the army had seized Egyptian armored vehicles from rebels in the country’s war-torn southern Darfur region.
The Egyptian authorities dismissed the Sudanese accusations of support to Darfur armed groups. But Khartoum points to the armored vehicles seized from the rebels, a matter that Cairo didn’t explain.
We told our brothers in Egypt about the postponement of the visit due to internal issues and it would take place later.
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also rejected the claim saying saying “Egypt does not conspire” against anyone.
He added,“Would I conspire and let elements attack our brothers in Sudan? We practice honorable politics at a time when honor is rare.”
The two countries have been at odds recently with Sudan accusing Egypt’s United Nations representative of supporting calls to extend international sanctions against them, which Cairo denied.
Moreover, Egypt also criticized Sudan for backing Ethiopia in the construction of a dam on the Nile which Egypt fears will affect its historical water shares.
Also, the Sudanese government recently signed investment agreements with Gulf countries where they will establish huge agricultural projects that require the full use of Sudan share in the Nile water, a move which is seen in Cairo as another threat to its water national security.
