Egypt says Darfur crisis ‘artificial’, backs Bashir in ICC row

August 1, 2009 (CAIRO) — The Darfur crisis is an “artificial” one directed against the people of Sudan, a senior Egyptian official said.
The Secretary General of the ruling Democratic National Party (DNP) in Egypt Safwat Al-Sharif addressing the party’s youth said that his government “rejects the foreign interference” in this issue.
Al-Sharif further affirmed his country’s support to the Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir in his confrontation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which issued an arrest warrant for him in connection with war crimes committed in Darfur.
“President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir is the elected official from the Sudanese people and therefore has the full legitimacy,” he said.
The remarks by the powerful official highlight the improvement in relationship between the two countries over the last few months.
Cairo has managed to get Khartoum on its side in a recent diplomatic battle with Nile basin countries who want to modify past agreements, which grants Egypt the lion’s share of the Nile waters.
The issue of water is highly sensitive matter to Egypt and the latter has historically stated that they would go to war over if its Nile Water share is affected.
However, this is the first time the Nile basin countries have moved in strong coordination on the issue placing pressure on Egypt, which forecasts its water demand to exceed its supply by 2017.
Egypt also is war about the possibility of South Sudan voting for independence in the 2011 referendum which may hypothetically impacts its share of the Nile water.
This week the Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit warned about the dangers of South Sudan secession saying it may lead to poverty and internal conflicts.
While in Egypt this month the Sudanese president echoed the same call saying that separation of the South ““will open the appetite of separatists in any position in the North and South and Africa whose borders were determined by the colonial powers,” adding that unity is in the interest of both sides.
(ST)