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Egypt’s Mubarak appears resigned to South Sudan independence
Written by SudanTribune
Feb 08, 2010 at 06:44 AM
(KHARTOUM) – Egypt’s top official for the first time appeared to acknowledge that South Sudanese will likely choose to secede in the self determination referendum scheduled for early next year.
The Kuwait based Al-Jarida newspaper said that Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak made rare remarks speaking of “peaceful” separation between North and South Sudan during his visit to the city of Sohag last week.

Mubarak has reportedly criticized Khartoum for lacking the will to preserve the unity and warning that there are regional powers wanting to fuel conflict in the area which he described as “vital to Egypt”.

The Egyptian media which is mostly controlled by the government, have omitted any reference to this portion of Mubarak’s speech.

The issue of South Sudan secession is sensitive one to Cairo largely due to its impact on the Nile water agreement and the possible reallocation of share with the new state even though legal experts say that the water agreements are still binding to the new state.

The Nile basin countries which have been fiercely pushing for amending the water agreements will hold a meeting in Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm Al-Sheik next week. Egypt and Sudan have veto right over any modification of the 1929 and 1959 agreements.

With almost 80 million people, Egypt’s water demand is projected to exceed its supply by 2017, according to a government reported published last month making the regional power more concerned than ever on maintaining the unity of Sudan.

Last year, sources at the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) told Sudan Tribune that Kiir cut short his visit to Egypt “after feeling uncomfortable with the level of pressure exerted by Egyptian officials on the issue of preserving Sudan’s unity”.

Al-Jarida newspaper quoted Egyptian sources as saying that Cairo also fears massacres in Khartoum against Southern Sudanese and Northerners in the South which they believe will witness armed conflicts.

The matter of South Sudan was to be discussed with visiting Sudanese 2nd Vice President Ali Osman Taha who held meetings today with Prime Minister Ahmed Nazeef. Taha’s visit received little coverage by Egyptian newspapers for unknown reasons.

Nazeef expressed his country’s support to Sudan in order to achieve unity and stability citing its attempt to rally the international community behind conserving the country’s unity being an advantageous option to Sudanese people.

He noted the Darfur reconstruction conference to be hosted by Cairo next March that will focus on building development projects and repatriating displaced Darfuris.

The Egyptian official also revealed that the High Education ministry is establishing a branch of Alexandria University in South Sudan city of Wau.

Taha is scheduled to meet with Mubarak before he ends his three day visit on Tuesday.

(ST)

Last Updated ( Feb 08, 2010 at 07:13 AM )

South Sudan gots lots more oil than the North and the North is benefitting from that right now while the South only has trickles of development in places like Juba.

Khalid, how you feel about your SUFI School people

FAH1223 wrote:South Sudan gots lots more oil than the North and the North is benefitting from that right now while the South only has trickles of development in places like Juba.

Khalid, how you feel about your SUFI School people

We will wait till 2011 when the independence referendum for south sudan takes place
I like the sudani People they always have a special place in my heart. I might visit that place this summer again.

come 2011 the saga will continue...

This is the doing of the US and its allies Isreal and unusually Saudi Arabia..
Saudi Arabia is Anti- sudanis becuase the sudani government is self proclaimed islamic state.
Saudi arabia views as a threat any country that claims to be islamic and is not wahabi, the same reason they were hostile to Islamic Banking.

The startegy of the Sudanese government is getting better, they are finally suing thier heads.
The southern groups are already decending into civil war, they are already backing thier own factions and will ensure that the comming civil war continues despite the expected massive western economic and millitary aid to South Sudan.
Darfur has already been secured.

gurey25 wrote:This is the doing of the US and its allies Isreal and unusually Saudi Arabia..
Saudi Arabia is Anti- sudanis becuase the sudani government is self proclaimed islamic state.
Saudi arabia views as a threat any country that claims to be islamic and is not wahabi, the same reason they were hostile to Islamic Banking.

The startegy of the Sudanese government is getting better, they are finally suing thier heads.
The southern groups are already decending into civil war, they are already backing thier own factions and will ensure that the comming civil war continues despite the expected massive western economic and millitary aid to South Sudan.
Darfur has already been secured.

in a nutshell

South Sudan's independence should be welcomed. After all, the two nations are distinctly different and the Southerners have suffered for far too long.