Egyptian government decided to hold the meeting of Egyptian-Sudanese Political Consultative Committee, headed by Egyptian Foreign Ministers Sameh Shukri and Sudanese Ibrahim Al-Ghandour, on Saturday in Cairo. According to a statement issued by Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, the two officials will hold two meetings and a press conference in the framework of the current visit conducted by Sudan’s Foreign Ministry to Cairo.

Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour said he will visit Cairo on Saturday to hold talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry within the framework of the joint Sudanese-Egyptian political consultations committee. Ghandour on Sunday cancelled a planned trip to Cairo, saying “we told our brothers in Egypt about the postponement of the visit due to internal issues and it would take place later”.

On Thursday, Ghandour received Egypt’s ambassador to Khartoum Osama Shaltout and discussed with him various bilateral and regional issues of common concern. In a press release following the meeting, foreign ministry spokesperson Gharib Allah Khidir said Ghanodour underscored the special relations between the two countries and the need for permanent contacts and consultations among officials from both sides.

He pointed that Ghanodour announced his visit to Cairo on Saturday at the invitation from Shoukry to hold in-depth discussions within the framework of the political consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries. Sudan’s top diplomat visit to Cairo comes several days after accusations by President Omer al-Bashir that Egypt provided weapons to Darfur rebels used during a recent attack.

The Egyptian authorities dismissed the Sudanese accusations of support to Darfur armed groups. But Khartoum points to the armoured vehicles seized from the rebels, a matter that Cairo didn’t explain. Last week, Sudan’s Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Salih extended the ban on Egyptian agricultural products which was announced last September. Also, the commissioners of North Khartoum and El-Fasher, North Darfur issued decisions banning Egyptian street vendors.

The relation between the two countries is strained due to the disputed Halayeb triangle, Sudan’s support to the Ethiopian dam, and the ban of Egyptian agricultural products. However, since the beginning of this year, President Omer al-Bashir has referred to the Egyptian support to Darfur armed groups.

The Egyptian authorities, on the other hand, have another point of view on the growing rift between the two countries. The Egyptian Madamasr website reported Wednesday that Egyptian government officials consider that Khartoum is encouraged by Gulf countries to seek troubles with Cairo and to stand behind the Ethiopian dam. The Egyptian official further said that Sudan had rejected a proposal to turn Halayeb triangle and its neighbouring Sudanese territory into a joint integration and cooperation area.

Source: Ahram online