Egypt

QNA reports that Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for African Affairs Ambassador Mona Omar has welcomed the mediation of the State of Qatar to settle the dispute between Eritrea and Djibouti, adding that Egypt welcomes any mediation that will realize peace between the two coutries.

She announced that her country was ready to make any effort to help achieve peace in this vital and important region, stressing that the return of normalcy between Eritrea and Djibouti is of interest to Egypt.

On the other hand, the Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister revealed in a press statement released today that Chadian President Idriss Deby will begin a two-day visit to Cairo tomorrow (Tuesday) where he will hold talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and a number of officials on bilateral relations in addition to the latest developments in Sudan, especially in the Darfur region among others.

She also that Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is expected to pay a visit to Egypt during the coming period, during which he is expected to hold talks with Egyptian officials on the situation in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.

The United Nations Security Council late Friday extended its “fully support” to Qatar’s mediation, under the auspices of H.H. the Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, between Djibouti and Eritrea, and welcomed their signing of an agreement aimed at resolving their two-year old border dispute.

“The members of the Security Council are encouraged by the willingness of the parties to resolve their border dispute peacefully, in full compliance with the provisions of relevant Security Council statements and resolutions, and in accordance with the United Nations Charter,” council President Claude Heller of Mexico told reporters on behalf of the other members.

The members also called upon both parties to engage in the mediation process “fully and in good faith, to refrain from the use or the threat of use of force and to abide by their commitments” under the agreement, and to solve their dispute and normalize their relations for the overall stability and security in the region.

The leaders of Eritrea and Djibouti signed a deal last week vowing to pursue a negotiated settlement to their dispute.

The deal ends the conflict that erupted in early 2008 when, after weeks of tensions and military build-up, the two countries’ armed forces clashed over an un-demarcated area in the Red Sea known as Doumeira, killing 35 people and leaving dozens of others wounded.

Earlier this week Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also issued a statement welcoming the deal and expressing confidence that it will “contribute to long-term peace and stability” in the region.

Qatar

DOHA – Qatar said on Monday that Eritrean troops have withdrawn from an area they controlled in Djibouti as a result of Doha’s mediation bid to end a territorial dispute between the two neighbours.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani was quoted by official QNA news as saying that Eritrea has already conducted “a withdrawal from disputed border areas,” a move verified by a Qatari observer force.

The Qatari mediation provides for the formation of a committee, headed by Sheikh Hamad, which is empowered to appoint an international firm to demarcate the border, with Eritrea and Djibouti’s consent, QNA said.

The Qatari observation force is tasked with monitoring the border between the two countries “until the conclusion of a final agreement on settling the conflict,” QNA reported.

The force, made up of about twenty soldiers, arrived in Djibouti on Friday, according to Djibouti press reports.

The long-running border row between Djibouti and Eritrea over the disputed Ras Doumeira promontory on the shores of the Red Sea led to clashes in 1996, 1999 and again in 2008.

Qatar, a small Gulf country rich in natural gas and oil, has offered to mediate in various conflicts, including internal strife in Sudan, Yemen and Lebanon. (Middle East Online)

Letters to the Editor of Stars and Stripes, Tuesday, May 10, 2010

In the April 29 Travel section (European edition), the article titled “Lots to sample in South Africa” was accompanied by a map of Africa that is closely accurate — except for one flaw: It fails to depict Eritrea.

Eritrea fought for and gained independence and international recognition in 1993.

I have a soldier from Eritrea whose family has been fighting Ethiopia for their independence since 1960. Eritrean men have died for their independence just as our fathers have fought for our independence in America.

You have carelessly depicted Africa by failing to recognize Eritrea as a separate state, and disrespected the men who have died for their freedom. Please correct your mistake and apologize for disrespecting the fallen heroes of Eritrea.

Staff Sgt. Alan Speck

Fort Lewis, Wash.

Source: Stars and Stripes

Khartoum, May 9 – The Assistant of the President of the Republic, Musa Mohamed Ahmed, Sunday briefed the visiting Eritrean delegation, headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Osman Saleh, on the latest developments in Sudan and the implementation of East Sudan Peace Agreement

Musa affirmed in a statement to SUNA after the meeting the important role being played by Eritrea as a mediator of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement. Musa said that the meeting reviewed outcome of the elections in Sudan as well as Eritrea’s contribution to the unity of Sudan and the plans for the coming period

He said that the meeting touched on the progress of the relations between Sudan and Eritrea and means of consolidating them further.

An Egyptian-Eritrean summit was held in Sharm el-Sheikh Tuesday May 4, 2010 between President Hosni Mubarak and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, according to ESIS.

During the summit, the two leaders discussed a number of regional and international issues of common interest topped by relations between Egypt and the Nile Basin states based on mutual understanding and joint keenness to achieve balanced development in all Nile Basin states.

The summit tackled the results of the underway consultations with all Nile basin states in the light of messages which have been addressed by President Mubarak to the leaders of those countries in the wake of the ministerial meeting of the Nile Basin states which was held in Sharm el-Sheikh last month.

Talks between the two leaders focused on the situation in the horn of Africa and efforts to combat piracy in Somalia.

Furthermore, Mubarak and Afewrki reviewed ways of boosting bilateral relations in the political, economic and social fields, expanding trade and investment exchange as well as encouraging the establishment of joint projects for enhancing development plans.

The Eritrean President arrived in Sharm el-Sheikh on a three-day visit and was welcomed at the airport by Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit, Minister Omar Suleiman, South Sinai Governor Mohamed Abdel-Fadil Shousha and the Eritrean Ambassador in Cairo.

Following the summit talks, the Eritrean President left Sharm el-Sheikh for Cairo for talks with Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif on expanding the scope of cooperation, the exchange of expertise and developing relations in the various domains.

Doha, May 03 (QNA) – HH Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani held talks at the Emiri Diwan here on Monday with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki, on the occasion of his current working visit to Qatar .

The talks were attended on the eritrean side by Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohamed, the Head of the Political Affairs of the Popular Front for Democracy and Justice Yemane Gebreab, the head of the Economic Affairs of the Popular Front for Democracy and Justice Hakos Qabri Huot , HE the Eritrean Ambassador to Qatar Ali Ibrahim Ahmed and Al-Amin Hassan Al Amin , the office director of the Eritrean President.

The Qatari-Eritrean talks dealt with bilateral relations and a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern. HH the Heir Apparent hosted a luncheon banquet in honour of the Eritrean distinguished guest and the accompanying delegation.

Asmara, (Shabait) 3 May 2010- President Isaias Afwerki left today for Qatar and Egypt on a working visit at the invitation of Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar, and President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

In the course of the visit, the President would hold talks with the leaders of the two countries on enhancing bilateral relations and regional, as well as international issues of mutual interest.

President Isaias was accorded warm welcome on arrival in Doha at noon.

Later on, he met and held talks with the Crown Prince Sheikh Temim Bin-Hamad Al-Thani and other senior Qatari government officials.

In the meeting, the President exchanged views on Eritrean-Qatari relations, economic cooperation based on partnership and regional as well as international issues of mutual interest.

KHARTOUM, April 27 (SUNA) — Sudan’s President Omer Al-Bashir has addressed the Sudanese people following the announcement by the National Elections Commission of his re-election, which was held in accordance with the country’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

In his address to the nation last Thursday, he described the election process as characterized by seriousness, freedom and the commitment to the practice of constitutional rights. The elections were not marred by violence, clashes or confrontations, he noted, stressing that the success of the elections was a victory for all the Sudanese people.

President Al-Bashir asserted his commitment to practise his powers and responsibilities as the president of all the Sudanese nation.

He lauded the role played by the National Elections Commission, and its chairman, Abil Alier, for their patience, persistence, good preparations and efforts to implement one of the most important pillars of the CPA and to hold the large and expensive elections, despite the technical and logistic challenges that faced it, emphasizing that the National Elections Commission had carried out its task with a honesty which was a source of honour all the Sudanese people.

President Al-Bashir thanked the international community for their donation of materials, in kind and administrative support for accomplishment of the historic elections in Sudan which was monitored closely by international and national observers, appreciating the support extended by all the organizations and Sudan fiends world-wide.

President Al-Bashir said that the international media had conducted intensive coverage of the elections in Sudan and was able to be informed about aspects of the election process and to be a witness of its smoothness and lacking to any aspect of violence or undermining of social peace.

He reiterated his commitment to live up to his responsibilities to lead the country with wisdom and to protect its stability and entity. The recent elections provided a good opportunity to all the Sudanese people with their different parties and orientations to express their views and to choose and offer their confidence to their candidates.

President Al-Bashir congratulated the people of his National Congress party who surpassed on of the biggest examinations by winning most of the election constituencies at all levels and obtained the confidence of the majority of the people of Sudan.

He also congratulated all the national political forces who contributed to bolstering the democratic progress in the country. He pointed out that the National Congress will maintain contacts, dialogue and consultations with all forces for establishing a national partnership toward confronting the challenges.

President Al-Bashir affirmed the keenness for holding the referendum on the future of south Sudan in the fixed time, as stipulated by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) as well as completing realization of peace in Darfur in western Sudan.

CAIRO, (The National), Mad Bradley – Despite a lack of agreement from Egypt and Sudan, seven of the nine countries that share the Nile River basin will proceed with plans to create a permanent negotiating body for determining the equitable use of the world’s longest river, African water ministers have said.

Water and irrigation ministers from seven up-river African nations said they hope to finalise negotiations on the Co-operative Framework Agreement next month, with or without agreement from down-river nations Egypt and Sudan.

The plans follow failed negotiations last week in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, between the nine countries of the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), a World Bank-funded programme that seeks to establish a diplomatic protocol for evaluating the fair use of the river for agricultural and energy projects.

The impasse between up-river and down-river countries has led to more than a decade of delays in forming the framework agreement, which supporters say could become an example of international co-operation for the fair use of water resources in the impoverished and conflict-prone region of north-eastern Africa.

A spokesman for the Ethiopian government accused Egypt on Tuesday of “delaying” negotiations, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

But Egypt, which is where the river flows into the Mediterranean, and Sudan say such an agreement could threaten their “historical rights” to secure sources of water. Their position downstream renders them particularly vulnerable to changes in water availability caused by up-river development projects, they said.

Egyptian water officials said if up-river nations exclude them from the agreement, it could spell the end of negotiations on equitable water-sharing for the entire river basin.

“Egypt’s share of the Nile’s water is a historic right that Egypt has defended throughout its history,” said Mohammed Allam, Egypt’s minister of water resources and irrigation, to a parliamentary session on Monday, according to Agence France-Presse. “If the Nile basin countries unilaterally signed the agreement it would be considered the announcement of the Nile Basin Initiative’s death.”

Egypt and Sudan’s historical claims to the Nile’s water stem from two past treaties that did not include signatures from the other Nile basin states. The latest treaty, which was signed between Egypt and Sudan in 1959, gave the Egyptian government rights over 55.5 billion cubic metres of water annually out of the 84 billion cubic metres that reach Egypt’s High Aswan Dam each year.

Although all of the countries have agreed on most of the terms of the framework, Egypt and Sudan have insisted that the agreement should include guarantees of the “historical rights” to which upper riparian states were never a party.

“We are not party to that agreement and we don’t recognise it,” said Teferra Beyene, the head of trans-boundary river affairs for Ethiopia’s ministry of water resources, of the 1959 treaty between Egypt and Sudan. “We don’t know of such a thing called historical rights. After all this is going to be a new covenant, a new agreement among the riparian countries.”

Egyptian diplomats urged negotiators to proceed directly towards the formation of a Nile River Basin Commission instead of first negotiating the terms of the framework agreement. The commission would act as a deliberative body and would make its decisions by a consensus of all the riparian states.

Egyptian officials say that unlike upper riparian states such as Ethiopia, whose rainy highlands provide an estimated 85 per cent of the Nile’s waters, projects on the Egyptian section of the river have no impact on countries further downstream.

“Our Egyptian water comes from the geography of the river and they can’t control that,” said Abd el Ati el Shafei, the chairman of the Nile Guards and Environment Protection Association.

Mr el Shafei said the Nile water that reaches Egypt only constitutes around five per cent of the Nile River’s total reserves of 1,600 billion cubic metres. And with its large and growing population that dwarfs those of other Nile Basin states, with the exception of Ethiopia, Egypt’s need for water security is particularly acute. “They don’t need the water that runs into Egypt and we didn’t take it from them by force,” Mr el Shafei said.

But as the countries of the Nile basin bicker over who is responsible for the stalled negotiations, the impasse continues to delay the creation of a permanent body that might arbitrate such disputes. Hani Raslan, the director of the Sudan and Nile basin studies programme at the semi-official Al Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Cairo, said he does not expect any serious decisions on a co-operative agreement within the next 20 years.

“These countries are small and fragile, they have many crises, and they act with Egypt like maybe they think they are superpowers,” Mr Raslan said. “That is not real. Egypt must have the right to do anything to protect its people.”

Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, an international leader in sustainable development, today announced that it is expanding the land size of its landmark Mushaireb mixed-use community development located in downtown Khartoum through the acquisition of an additional 58,000 sqm of land, resulting in a total 206,000 sqm for the project.

The expansion was announced at a signing ceremony for the new land purchase at Qatari Diar’s Lusail headquarters in Doha today, presided by Eng. Mohammed bin Ali Al Hedfa, Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatari Diar, and a representative from the Sudanese government, HE Mohammed Abdul Wahab Othman, Minister of Planning and Urban Development.

Eng. Mohammed bin Ali Al Hedfa, Group CEO of Qatari Diar, commented on the announcement:

“The expansion of our Mushaireb development in Sudan reflects Qatari Diar’s deep commitment to establishing the best possible mixed-use real estate development, with an emphasis on sustainable development, for the people of Sudan. We see strong potential for the country’s long-term growth, and we are proud to be helping to improve the business, tourist, and residential opportunities and infrastructure in Sudan. Through our expansion of Mushaireb will be creating a unique environment where Sudanese heritage meets modern luxury. We look forward to continuing progress as our work on the site continues.”

In November of 2009, Qatari Diar unveiled revised master plans for Mushaireb at a press conference in Khartoum, and construction work on Phase-1 of Mushaireb began in 2009. The development has already proven to be a desirable location for investors seeking prime real estate in the heart of Khartoum.

Mushaireb will be one of Khartoum’s most distinguished developments, offering a new distinct luxurious integrated facility that will elevate the level of future Khartoum real estate projects.

This mixed-use development is situated on a prime location in downtown Khartoum with views along the Nile, conveniently just 20 minutes from Khartoum’s airport.

Mushaireb will mix traditional architecture within an urban landscape, and will include a 5-star hotel, 8 residential and retail towers, and office space. As part of the project, Qatari Diar will also undertake a redevelopment of the majestic waterfront corniche area along the Nile into a family-friendly entertainment area.

HE the Minister of Planning and Urban Development, Eng. Mohammed Abdul Wahab Othman stated: “This announcement represents the strong bond between the people of Sudan and Qatar. Mushaireb is an exciting and prestigious project that will revitalize downtown Khartoum and provide vibrant new business, residential, tourist, and commercial opportunities to the city. We look forward to continuing to find new ways to work with Qatari Diar and the Qatar people in all avenues to encourage the prosperous development of Sudan.”

Launched in 2004, Qatari Diar is wholly-owned by the Qatar Investment Authority and currently has more than 35 real estate development projects active in more than 20 countries around the world. Qatari Diar’s unique vision of sustainable development places community and local traditions at the forefront. It creates distinguished property developments with local culture and lifestyle experience to attract tourism and residents generating sustainable and tangible socio-economic benefits.

About Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company:

Wholly owned by the Qatar Investment Authority, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company was established in December 2004 to support Qatar’s growing economy and to co-ordinate the country’s real estate development priorities. Qatari Diar is currently involved in more than 35 projects in more than 20 countries around the world, including Qatar, Morocco, France, Oman, Egypt, Djibouti, and Eritrea.

Qatari Diar is becoming established as one of the world’s most trusted and respected real estate companies because of its commitment to quality, local community, partnership and hallmark sustainability.

Qatari Diar’s hallmark vision of sustainable development places community and local traditions at the forefront. The Company aims to create and manage property investments and developments which not only comply with the best international standards, but which also strongly reflect local culture and values. As a result, Qatari Diar’s projects deliver a distinctive and sustainable social, economic and environmental benefit to the community. In addition, Qatari Diar often enables local and international developers and investors to partner in its projects, and to work together in exploring other opportunities, both locally and internationally.

For further information, kindly contact:

John Watts – Brown Lloyd James

+974 687 6682

ADDIS ABABA (AFP) – Bandits killed a British oil worker and two Ethiopian soldiers in the remote southeastern Ogaden region of the Horn of Africa nation, officials said on Friday.

“It is an attack by some bandits and the Englishman and two Ethiopian service men have been killed,” Ethiopia’s state minister for communication Shimeles Kemal said of the attack on Monday.

The 39-year-old Briton was named as Jason Read by his employer IMC Geophysics International Ltd, which was subcontracted to the Malaysian oil giant Petronas.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragedy and our sincere thoughts and sympathies are with Jason’s family,” the company said in a statement.

The incident took place in Danot district in Somali region where several separatist groups operate.

“The Ethiopian authorities are carrying out a full inquiry and we are liaising closely with them,” said a Foreign Office spokeswoman said in London.

In 2007, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) attacked a Chinese oil venture in the Ogaden region and killed 74 people.

Formed in 1984, the ONLF is fighting for the independence of ethnic Somalis in the Ogaden, who they say have been marginalised by Addis Ababa.