Egypt ready to help achieve stability, safety in South Sudan

Cairo announced that it is ready to help South Sudan achieve stability and safety, a statement issued by the Egyptian presidential office said yesterday.

According to the Anadolu Agency, the statement was issued following a meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and the minister of presidential affairs in South Sudan Mayiik Ayii Deng.

Anadolu said that the Chief of the Egyptian General Intelligence Khalid Fawzi also attended the meeting, which was held in Cairo.

In a letter to Al-Sisi, the President of South Sudan Silva Kiir stressed the “importance of brotherly relationship between the two countries and the keenness of South Sudan to promote this relationship.”

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The South Sudanese official spoke about the developments of the situation in his country and the efforts being exerted to regain safety and stability. He also hailed the Egyptian efforts being exerted in this field.

Meanwhile, Al-Sisi reiterated the willingness of his country to achieve peace in South Sudan, stressing that Cairo is ready to contribute in achieving safety and stability in the country.

He also told Deng that Egypt is going to continue its support for South Sudan until the country fulfils the development, economic and social needs of its people.

Earlier this year Egypt airlifted 100 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the people of South Sudan as 40 per cent of its 11 million residents live in abject poverty, according to UN reports.

Since its independence from Sudan in 2011, the country has been involved in internal clashes that caused the death and displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. A peace deal signed in 2015 failed to end the clashes.