Egypt, Qatar Optimistic about Developing Ties

The meeting of the Egyptian delegation and its Qatari counterpart in the presence of the foreign ministers of the two countries in Doha yesterday (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
The meeting of the Egyptian delegation and its Qatari counterpart in the presence of the foreign ministers of the two countries in Doha yesterday (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt, Qatar Optimistic about Developing Ties

The meeting of the Egyptian delegation and its Qatari counterpart in the presence of the foreign ministers of the two countries in Doha yesterday (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
The meeting of the Egyptian delegation and its Qatari counterpart in the presence of the foreign ministers of the two countries in Doha yesterday (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani expressed satisfaction with the positive developments in Egyptian-Qatari relations following the signing of the AlUla Statement on 5 January in Saudi Arabia.

Shoukry traveled Sunday to Doha to deliver a message from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Egyptian minister will take part during his visit in the consultative meeting of Arab foreign ministers, which will be held at the invitation of Qatar on Tuesday.

His visit comes a few weeks after his Qatari counterpart led a delegation on a visit to Cairo, during which he met Sisi and delivered an official invitation to visit Qatar.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said in a statement that they both agreed on the importance of taking the necessary steps to build on previous achievements.

This would occur by reactivating the various bilateral cooperation frameworks and continuing to hold the existing follow-up mechanisms. It would take place as part of efforts to settle all outstanding issues between the two countries during the coming period.

It was also agreed to advance aspects of bilateral cooperation in priority sectors to achieve the interests of the two countries and brotherly peoples.

Hafez added that the meeting dealt with the most prominent current challenges facing the Arab countries and the regional arena.

The consultative Arab League meeting scheduled for Tuesday was also discussed, which will address the major regional issues and ways to deal with external interventions harmful to Arab national security.

The talks also dealt with the visions and positions of the two countries on issues of common concern at the regional and international levels.



RSF Forms Parallel Civilian Govt in Khartoum

 Smoke billows in southern Khartoum on June 12, 2023 during fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries. (AFP)
Smoke billows in southern Khartoum on June 12, 2023 during fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries. (AFP)
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RSF Forms Parallel Civilian Govt in Khartoum

 Smoke billows in southern Khartoum on June 12, 2023 during fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries. (AFP)
Smoke billows in southern Khartoum on June 12, 2023 during fighting between Sudan's army and paramilitaries. (AFP)

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan announced the formation of a civilian parallel government in Khartoum, 19 months after seizing the majority of the Sudanese capital, including the presidential palace and various ministries.

The RSF named Abdul Latif Abdullah al-Amin al-Hassan as prime minister and formed a 90-member legislative civilian council that would offer services to the people and restore security.

The council has elected a judicial council and has been sworn in.

The legislative council vowed to provide essential services to the people, protect them and offer them civil assistance. It also vowed to restore state agencies that have collapsed during the war that erupted in April 2023.

Khartoum had been without a government or administration since the cabinet relocated to Port Sudan during the war.

Head of the legislative council, Nael Babakir Nael Al-Mak Nasser, said the vacuum caused by the war led to the collapse in basic and essential services, leading the people to demand the establishment of a civilian administration.

“The people of Khartoum took on this historic responsibility and communicated with the RSF leaderships in the state to request their approval to establish a civilian administration that can offer basic services,” he told a press conference on Friday.

The civilian and judicial councils will cooperate to ensure the services and humanitarian aid reach the people in Khartoum.