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Sudan Tribune

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Egypt’s chief spy and Qatar’s top diplomat in Khartoum for separate talks with Sudanese officials

Head of Egypt intelligence agency Kamel poses for a picture with his Sudanese counterpart Salah Gosh (R) and Sudanese Defence minister Ibn Ouf (ST photo)
Head of Egypt intelligence agency Kamel poses for a picture with his Sudanese counterpart Salah Gosh (R) and Sudanese Defence minister Ibn Ouf (ST photo)

March 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate (EGID) Abas Mustafa Kamel met with the Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir for talks on the outstanding issues between the two countries.

His visit coincided with the arrival of the Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to Khartoum to deliver a message to from the Emir of Qatar to President al-Bashir.

According to the official news agency SUNA, Kamel is visiting Sudan at the invitation of his Sudanese counterpart Salah Gosh. Both, have been appointed recently at this position, Kamel who was the director of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s office has been appointed in January and Gosh in February.

The two men have to enhance bilateral cooperation dissipate fears and suspicions as Cairo and Khartoum suspect each other of supporting opposition groups since the removal of the former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

The meeting with al-Bashir “discussed the importance of communication between the two countries and the major challenges facing the region, in order to not affect the relationship between the two countries,” said a short statement released by SUNA.

During a recent meeting held in Cairo, Sudan proposed to enhance the cooperation between the intelligence agencies and to establish a joint border monitoring force. The two countries seek to control the triangle border area with Libya to prevent cross-border trafficking, security-threats by rebel or terrorist groups from Libya.

The visiting Egyptian official also met with the Sudanese defence and foreign affairs ministers to the implementation of the recent understandings they agreed with their counterparts on the differences between the two countries.

The Sudanese army spokesperson said the defence minister reiterated Sudan’s keenness to preserve the stability of Egypt and the region adding that Cairo has also to contribute in the regional security.

The Sudanese minister pointed to the importance of forming a bloc to protect the regional security in light of the threats and challenges facing the region, and the need of coordination and exchange of information to protect the border, the military spokesperson said.

Sudan considers that Egypt has a role to play to convince the Libyan general Khalifa Haftar who controls eastern Libya to stop using Darfur armed groups.

In May 2017, two armed groups attacked North Darfur state with Egyptian armoured vehicles that Cairo provided to Haftar who contributes to protecting its western border from cross-border attacks by jihadists groups based in Libya.

QATAR FOREIGN MINISTER

Also, Qatari Foreign Minister Al-Thani arrived in Khartoum on Saturday evening and he was received by Sudanese counterpart Ibrahim Ghandour.

According to the foreign ministry, Al-Thani is in a two-day visit to Sudan and will hand over a message from the Emir of Qatar to al-Bashir.

Ghandour told reporters after the arrival of the Qatari top diplomat that the two sides will hold talks on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual concern, as well as means of strengthening relations.

Khartoum has refused to join the Saudi-led campaign to isolate Qatar and pointed to the economic and political support Doha had provided in the past to Sudan.

However, Sudanese army continues to participate in the war against the Iran-backed Houthis rebels in Yemen who also represent a direct threat to the stability of Saudi Arabia.

(ST)

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