Egypt does not interfere in Sudan's internal affairs
Egypt-Regional, Politics, 12/21/1999

President Hosni Mubarak said his current Gulf tour is a link in a series of Arab meetings, adding that he would discuss the prospects for holding an Arab Summit.

He denied that the Sudan had asked for military assistance from Egypt. He said he has maintained contacts with Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir even before the latest. developments.

President Mubarak told Chief Editors accompanying him from Cairo to the Gulf tour that the developments of the Middle East peace process, the Palestinian question and the whole Arab situation will be tackled during this tour, he said, adding that the means of combining Arab ranks, boosting Arab solidarity will be discussed besides possibilities of convening an Arab Summit.

President Mubarak said developments in Sudan will be reviewed with the leaders of the Arab countries which he will visit.

Referring to the situation in Sudan, President Mubarak said: "we supported legitimacy in Sudan and backed its elected President Omar Al -Bashir."

President Bashir on last Sunday dissolved the Sudanese Parliament and declared a state of
emergency accusing Parliament Speaker Hassan Torabi of trying to undermine the system of government.

President Mubarak denied that General Abdul-Rahman sir Al-Khatim came to Egypt to ask for military or nonmilitary aid.

He revealed that he had several phone calls, during his visit to Paris, with Bashir immediately before these recent events took place.

He and Libyan President Moammar Gaddafi also had contacts with the Sudanese President during his recent visit to Tripoli .

President Mubarak flew to Libya on Tuesday where he discussed Sudan's situation with Gadafi. At the end of their meetings the two Presidents issued a joint statement giving "full support and backing to the Sudanese leadership for the legitimate decisions adopted by President Al-Bashir to safeguard the unity of Sudan."

President Mubarak affirmed that Egypt does not interfere in the domestic affairs of Sudan or of any other country, but said "we are only-following up the situation in this sisterly country."

On the Syrian-Israeli peace talks Mubarak said : "Egypt, the first Arab country to conclude a peace agreement with Israel, supports Syria in its efforts to restore the Golan heights which Israel occupied in 1967 and end the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon and end this Arab-Israeli conflict."

President Mubarak underlined that the Palestine issue is the core and crux of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Achieving peace between Israel and each of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan but without finding a genuine and just settlement to the Palestinian issue will not end the conflict, Mubarak remarked: Peace without restoring Palestinian rights will be tantamount to a call to renew violence, he said.

The Palestinians will never give up one inch of their land or relinquish their rights, Mubarak stressed.

He revealed that he told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that Israeli's insistence on setting up settlements and increasing their numbers is tantamount to an insistence on augmenting hatred and grudge.

President Mubarak also recalled telling Barak that settlement activities must be frozen or else hatred between Palestinian's and Israelis will increase.

Previous Stories:
  Phone calls between Mubarak and Sheikh Zayed   (12/20/1999)
  Saudi, Egyptian and Syrian summit nearby   (12/20/1999)
  Mubarak in Doha after concluding visit to Riyadh   (12/20/1999)

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