Middle East Eye: Egyptian and Saudi Views Match on Yemen and Sudan
Cairo – Sudanhorizon
The UK-based magazine Middle East Eye has reported that Egypt confirmed its “alignment with the positions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding Yemen and Sudan.” This statement comes amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over a number of issues, including Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia.
According to Middle East Eye, the Egyptian comments followed a meeting between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on January 5.
The magazine stated that President al-Sisi and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud declared that both countries agree on the neeed to reach peaceful solutions to the region’s crises. They specifically mentioned the issues of Yemen, Sudan, the Gaza Strip, and Somaliland, which Israel recently recognized as an independent state separate from Somalia.
President al-Sisi and Prince Faisal affirmed their “commitment to preserving the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of states.”
The magazine noted that this meeting comes amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the neighboring United Arab Emirates over a range of regional issues, with the UAE supporting separatist and insurgent movements in Sudan, Yemen, and Somaliland.
According to the magazine, the UAE has long maintained close ties with Somaliland and is believed to be a key supporter of international recognition of Hargeisa. Its reaction to Israel’s recognition of Somaliland last month was lukewarm, and some reports indicate that the UAE has begun accepting travel documents issued by the breakaway state.
Middle East Eye reported last October that the port of Berbera in Somaliland is part of a network of bases along the Gulf of Aden built by the UAE.
Relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been strained over Yemen, where the UAE supports the separatist Southern Transitional Council, while Saudi Arabia backs the internationally recognized government.
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