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Egypt to Mediate Sudan Unity Talks

   Peter Clottey 01 August 2010
   Sudanese  President  Omar  al-Beshir (R) walks with Sudan's First Vice
   President  and  south  Sudan  leader  Salva  Kiir  at  the  airport in
   Khartoum, as he prepares to leave for Chad, 21 Jul 2010

Photo: AFP

   Sudanese  President  Omar  al-Beshir (R) walks with Sudan's First Vice
   President  and  south  Sudan  leader  Salva  Kiir  at  the  airport in
   Khartoum, as he prepares to leave for Chad, 21 Jul 2010

   A  prominent  member  of  Sudanâs ruling National Congress Party (NCP)
   says neighboring Egypt will be hosting and mediating talks between his
   party  and  the  Sudan  Peopleâs  Liberation  Movement (SPLM) in Cairo
   Monday.

   Rabie  Abdelati Obeid said Egypt has expressed the interest in working
   with  both parties to âmake unityâ attractive to both parties ahead of
   the semi-autonomous south Sudanâs 9^th January referendum.

   âThis meeting will discuss the issue of unity between the two parts of
   the  country,  south  and north, and to ensure that both partners will
   work  together  to  achieve  unity and to realize the results of unity
   (ahead  of  the) upcoming referendum, which will be carried out at the
   beginning of the year 2011,â Obeid said.

Obeid

   Dr.  Rabie  Abdelati  Obeid,  a  prominent  member of Sudan's dominant
   National Congress Party (NCP)

   He  also  said that Egypt will benefit from Sudanâs unity as a âunited
   Sudan will guarantee the security of Egypt.â

   Analysts   say   Egypt   has   a  vested  interest  in  ensuring  that
   controversial  issues  surrounding  the  sharing of natural resources,
   including   the   Nile   River,  are  resolved  before  the  scheduled
   referendum.

   Critics  say  Egypt  might  not  be  an impartial mediator in Mondayâs
   negotiations since the possible secession of the semi-autonomous south
   could affect the countryâs economy.

   Residents  in south Sudan will determine in a referendum scheduled for
   9^th  January  whether  to be part of the original Sudan or secede and
   become an independent country.

   The referendum is part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA)
   that  ended  over  two  decades  of  war  between  President  Bashirâs
   government and the SPLM.

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