Former military chief Salah Gosh and ousted prime minister Omar al-Bashir agree agreement for new government
Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi calls for calm after warning Sudanese president of Al-Jazeera move
The Egyptian president has called for calm in Sudan following reports that Sudan’s president ordered Al-Jazeera Arabic television and the Sudanese government to close.
Egyptian media reported President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi met Salah Gosh, the former military chief, and Omar al-Bashir, the former prime minister, on Wednesday, minutes after he warned the Sudanese of the broadcaster and government moves aimed at bringing down the president.
Bashir ordered the move to close the station on Tuesday, calling it a “provocation and an attempt to bring down the government and mislead the people of Sudan”.
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His orders have put him in direct conflict with Sisi’s Egypt, whose state of emergency allows indefinite detentions without trial, and with the US, which, along with the European Union, opposed the expulsion of the network.
“Egypt affirms its utmost support for the people of Sudan, government and army to maintain peace and stability in that land,” Sisi said.
Sudan and Egypt have close ties and military cooperation.
The reports sparked fury in Sudan and drew criticism from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the US’s closest regional ally.
The south African government urged restraint and urged all parties to resolve their dispute peacefully.
“We reiterate that no government or media should interfere in what is a domestic issue,” it said in a statement.