Sudan to lodge complaints over Egypt Darfur allegations

Sudan says it intends to lodge official complaints against Egypt with several international organisations including the United Nations for Cairo’s alleged military support of rebel groups in Darfur, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Last week, Sudan’s President, Omar Al-Bashir, accused Cairo of supplying armoured vehicles and weapons in a recent attack launched by armed rebel groups in the western region of Darfur fighting to overthrow the government in Khartoum. Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has strenuously rejected the claims.

In a statement to the Andalou Agency, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Garib Allah Al-Khidir, said Sudan would make formal complaints to the United Nations Security Council, the African Union and the Arab League.

He also accused Egypt of “intentionally dragging its feet” on implementing a de-escalation agreement signed between the foreign ministers in April, which committed the two sides not to support each other’s opposition groups and called for a halt to hostile media coverage against one another.

The Egyptian media continues to engage in provocation and insults against Sudan. This is unacceptable and must stop immediately

Al-Khidr said.

In another development, the New Arab news outlet reported that Sudan has rejected an offer by Egypt to normalise relations and reactivate a bilateral agreement in the disputed area Halayeb Triangle.

Read: Will Sudan, South Sudan end the conflict over Abyei?

The official offer made yesterday by an Egyptian government official proposes to reactivate the 2004 Four Freedoms Agreement permitting the free movement, residence, work and ownership by both countries in the area; an agreement that Egypt previously refused to implement in the disputed territory.

The news outlet reports that Khartoum has rejected the offer and is continuing to insist that Egypt ends its “military occupation” and formally return the area to Sudanese sovereignty or accept binding international border arbitration to resolve the issue.

Tensions between the two countries were further intensified this week when Sudan’s cabinet ratified Tuesday a total ban on imports of Egyptian agricultural and animal produce.

The two foreign ministers are expected to meet in Egypt’s capital, Cairo, this weekend.