Egypt keeps visit of Sudan president under tight wrap

March 24, 2009 (CAIRO) — The Egyptian government and official media maintained silence over news reports that Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir will fly to Cairo on Wednesday.

A number of news agencies quoted unidentified Egyptian officials as saying that Bashir will meet with President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday morning.

This would be Bashir’s second foreign visit since the ICC issued an arrest warrant for him earlier this month in connection with crimes committed in Sudan’s Western region of Darfur.

On Monday the Sudanese leader flew to neighboring Eritrea in what observers described as a symbolic visit to an isolated state.

However, a visit to Egypt, a regional power, will boost Bashir’s political stance against the Hague-based court.

It was originally reported by Sudanese newspaper this week that 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha will travel to Cairo on Thursday for talks with Egyptian officials. It is unclear Bashir decided to replace Taha in the visit.

Egyptian officials could not confirm the visit, but said that Mubarak would host an unnamed foreign visitor Wednesday.

Mohamed Adam Mohamed Suleiman, assistant press attaché at the Sudanese embassy in Cairo confirmed the visit to Reuters.

“It is confirmed. There is a visit tomorrow” Suleiman said and added that Mubarak would have lunch with Bashir.

There has been intense speculation on the status of Bashir’s trips abroad in light of the arrest warrant and risks of being apprehended.

Egypt has not signed the Rome Statute, which forms the basis of the ICC, and is under no obligation to execute the arrest warrant.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1593 referring the Darfur case to the ICC urges cooperation by non-ICC members.

Some observers have pointed in the past that given its international standing and role Egypt may be unwilling to appear to be hosting an individual accused of war crimes.

The Sudanese embassy official said that Bashir will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Deng Alor, Presidential Affairs Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh, and the head of Sudanese intelligence Salah Gosh.

The issue of the ICC arrest warrant will likely top the agenda in Wednesday’s discussions.

Egypt, along with other Arab and African countries, has criticized the ICC move and called on the UNSC to invoke Article 16 of the Rome Statute which allows the 15 members council to suspend the indictment for a period of 12 months that can be renewed indefinitely.

(ST)