DATE=5/21/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-232573
TITLE=EGYPT / SUDAN (L ONLY)
BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL
DATELINE=CAIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: RELATIONS BETWEEN EGYPT AND NEIGHBORING SUDAN HAVE TAKEN
A TURN FOR THE WORSE. EGYPT IS ANGERED BY WHAT IT VIEWS AS
BACKTRACKING BY SUDAN ON A NUMBER OF CONCESSIONS THAT CAIRO
DEMANDS BEFORE TIES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE FULLY
NORMALIZED. RICHARD ENGEL IN CAIRO REPORTS EGYPTIAN COMMENTATORS
SAY BI-LATERAL RELATIONS WILL REMAIN STRAINED UNTIL KHARTOUM
STOPS HARBORING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS.
TEXT: RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN TENSE FOR
NEARLY THREE YEARS AS EGYPT CONTINUES TO ACCUSE SUDAN OF
SUPPORTING AN ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK
DURING A VISIT TO ETHIOPIA.
THIS YEAR, CAIRO AND KHARTOUM HAVE TAKEN A NUMBER OF STEPS AIMED
AT RECONCILIATION. EGYPT RESTORED RIVER TRANSPORT BETWEEN THE
TWO COUNTRIES AND NEW TRADE AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN SIGNED. IN
MARCH, SUDANESE LEADER OMAR AL-BASHIR ANNOUNCED THAT KHARTOUM
WOULD RETURN EGYPTIAN PROPERTIES IT SEIZED SIX YEARS AGO. SUDAN
CONFISCATED THE PROPERTIES AFTER CAIRO ACCUSED KHARTOUM OF
SUPPORTING ISLAMIC MILITANTS TRYING TO TOPPLE THE EGYPTIAN
GOVERNMENT.
BUT EFFORTS BY A LOW-LEVEL EGYPTIAN DELEGATION SENT TO SUDAN TO
HAMMER OUT A DEAL LAST MONTH WERE FRUSTRATED BY WHAT EGYPT'S
FOREIGN MINISTER AMR MOUSSA CALLED SUDANESE "LIES."
IN A SHARPLY-WORDED STATEMENT FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY, EGYPT
SAID THAT IT WAS NOT ABLE TO RECOVER THE 33 SCHOOLS, 16 GUEST
HOUSES, AND OTHER BUILDINGS BELONGING TO THE CAIRO UNIVERSITY
BRANCH IN KHARTOUM BECAUSE SUDAN FAILED TO HONOR ITS COMMITMENTS.
THE STATEMENT ALSO ACCUSED SUDAN OF REFUSING TO HAND OVER
EGYPTIAN MILITANTS WANTED FOR ATTACKS IN EGYPT.
THE DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE SEMI-OFFICIAL AL-AHRAM
NEWSPAPER, ABDEL-AZIM HAMMAD, SAYS SUDAN'S POWERFUL SPEAKER OF
PARLIAMENT, HASSAN AL-TURABI, IS BLOCKING RECONCILIATION. THE
EGYPTIAN EDITOR SAYS MR. TURABI, KHARTOUM'S CHIEF IDEOLOGUE, IS
AFRAID OF TURNING OVER THE 17 ALLEGED TERRORISTS DEMANDED BY
CAIRO BECAUSE IT WOULD EXPOSE HIS ROLE IN THE 1995 ATTEMPT ON MR.
MUBARAK'S LIFE.
/// HAMMAD ACT ///
THEY ARE AFRAID OF GOOD RELATIONS WITH EGYPT BECAUSE
THIS WILL LEAD TO SURRENDERING OR GIVING UP THE EGYPTIAN
TERRORISTS WHO ARE STAYING NOW OR LIVING NOW IN THE
SUDAN. THESE TERRORISTS, AS YOU KNOW, MAY CONFESS THAT
THEY WERE PROTECTED AND TRAINED AND PROVIDED WITH ALL
THE FACILITIES THEY WANT DIRECTLY FROM DR. TURABI OR YOU
KNOW HIS COLLEAGUES OR ALLIES IN THE ISLAMIC FRONT (DR.
TURABI'S POLITICAL PARTY).
/// END ACT ///
THE EGYPTIAN EDITOR SAYS THAT UNLIKE MR. TURABI, GENERAL BASHIR
WANTS TO IMPROVE TIES WITH CAIRO. HE SAYS THAT MR. BASHIR WILL
LIKELY VISIT EGYPT THIS SUMMER DEPENDING ON THE SUCCESS OF
PREPARATORY TALKS.
THE EGYPTIAN PRESS INITIALLY REPORTED THAT MR. BASHIR WOULD VISIT
CAIRO THIS MONTH. BUT MR. HAMMAD SAYS THE TRIP WAS DELAYED BY
THE FAILURE TO STRIKE A DEAL ON THE CONFISCATED EGPYTIAN
PROPERTIES. (SIGNED)
NEB/RHE/DBR/KL
21-May-98 11:00 AM EDT (1500 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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