Egyptian reformist Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the National Association for Change, refused on Wednesday to meet with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during the head of state’s diplomatic visit to Cairo.
Embattled leader al-Bashir, however, met with representatives of various political forces, including Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Mohamed Badie, Guidance Bureau members Mohamed Morsi and Essam al-Erian, and Democratic Front Party President Osama al-Ghazali Harb.
Tagammu Party President Refaat al-Saeed also refused to meet with al-Bashir, sources said.
Al-Bashir requested to meet with the Egyptian political leaders to discuss the latest developments in the wake of former President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster. He congratulated the Egyptian people on the success of their revolution, and stressed his ambitions for stronger bilateral relations.
The Brotherhood’s Badie stressed the depth of relations between the two countries and the importance of the Sudanese role as a strategic extension of Egypt.
Sudan has “an essential role in the relationship between the Nile Basin countries and the Horn of Africa,” Badie said.