Egypt Seeks South Sudan Support to Regain African Union Membership

Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of Home Affairs in the Republic of South Africa, has been sworn in as the new African Union Commission Chair. The decision was made at the Summit held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 15, 2012., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

SUNDAY 18 AUGUST 2013

Egypt seeks South Sudan support to regain membership at African Union

August 16, 2013 (JUBA) - The Egyptian government is seeking support of the Republic of South Sudan to reclaim membership at the African Union, after it was suspended due to the ouster of its first elected president by the military, a South Sudanese senior diplomat on Friday.

The spokesperson for South Sudan’s ministry of foreign affairs and International cooperation, Mawien Makol, said his country is expecting a visit by Egyptian foreign affairs minister, Nabil Fahmi on Tuesday with a high level delegation.

The talks will focus on "the role the government of South Sudan can play to assist Egyptians government reclaim membership at the African Union”, he said.

South Sudan became the African Union’s 54th member shortly after it seceded from Sudan on 9 July 2011. Egypt was suspended from the pan-African body on 6 July after the military took power from Mohamed Morsi, who won elections last year as the candidate of the Freedom and Justice and party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Hundreds of people have died as the Egyptian police and army have attempted to break up protest camps established by Muslim Brotherhood supporters in the wake of Morsi’s ouster and incarceration.

Ambassador Makol said Juba hoped to improve its friendly bilateral relations with Cairo, revealing that the Egyptian government has offered to assist in breaking the deadlock between Sudan and South Sudan over post-independence issues.

“The delegation will also meet the president and other key officials to explore ways to strengthen relations and design together mechanisms to help the two countries address issues of concerns. There were will discussions touching mainly issues relating to how manage Nile Water, strengthening trade ties and other developmental issues, especially projects which are supported by the Egyptian government”, he explained.

The senior diplomat said his country expects the visiting ministry to brief president Salva Kiir Mayardit of events in Egypt since Morsi was deposed on 3 July.

“It will be good opportunity to learn about how the current government in Egypt is managing affairs of the nation at this critical moment and how the leadership expects other countries to extend helping hand”, he said.

“As a government and people, we wishes Egyptian people and their government hold each other together and strongly and embrace peaceful dialogue as a means to resolve differences”, said Ambassador Makol.

(ST)