Mubarak (R) and Beshir, during their meeting in Cairo (AFP)

Additional Reporting By Mohammad Gamal Arafa, IOL Staff

CAIRO, January 18, (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Beshir Sunday, January 18, held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, focusing on how Egypt could support Sudan's negotiations with the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army, which are close to forging a final settlement to the 20-year-old civil war.

Talks between the Egyptian and Sudanese Presidents yield an agreement on strengthening the integration between the two countries, according to Egyptian official sources.

The Egyptian Minister of Information Safwat Al-Sherif said the two Presidents discussed "the Arab conditions, the situation in the Middle East as well as the Iraqi issue and the moves and coordination in Africa," Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

He added that the two Presidents discussed also "the results of the peace process in Sudan."

Beshir arrived in Cairo Sunday morning in a one-day-visit to Egypt accompanied by his Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail and the Ministers of Agriculture, Al-Magdoub Khalifa, and Industry, Jalal Youssef al-Doqier.

Sudanese sources close to the talks told IslamOnline.net that Beshir’s visit to Cairo aimed initially at discussing the role Egypt cold play to support the unity of the Sudan during the transitional period following the near peace agreement.

The sources added that the talks included pushing for the integrity projects between the two countries, reconstruction of the South of Sudan as well as leading an active Arab action towards investment in Sudan to attract the rebels to the unity choice.

The visit comes after closing the last file of the two countries disagreement during the visit of the Sudanese Interior Minister to Cairo last week.

Major agreements in agricultural and Industrial projects are expected to be signed, a logical reason for the Ministers of Agriculture and Industry to join the official delegation of the Sudanese President.

The heads of the two delegates of the Sudanese government and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed Saturday, January 3, an agreement over wealth sharing in the South of Sudan.

Two outstanding issues, however, remain to be tackled; the status of three disputed areas - Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and Abyei - and how to share power.

Talks between the Sudanese government and rebels started after the senior officials of Sudan’s rebel group returned in last December to Sudan, for the first time in 20 years, as Beshir declared an end to the long-standing civil war in the south.

Marginalized Areas

Beshir informed Mubarak also of the details of the current talks in Kenya with the southern rebels. Reports were circulated to the effect that the Sudanese President will ask for Egyptian interference to convince the SPLA leader John Garang to "soften" his strict position about the three so-called “marginalized areas” which constitute a major obstacle to a peace deal.

However, Egypt wishes to keep the Blue Nile under the North government as 82% of Nile water that reaches Egypt comes from the Blue Nile.

On the other hand, Egyptian and Sudanese officials expected a boost in relations between the two countries following the summit to serve the unity of Sudan.

The heads of states also reviewed the progress of their bilateral relations after the joint higher committees, headed by the Egyptian Prime Minister Atef Ebed and the Sudanese First Vise President Ali Osman Taha held a series of meetings during 2003.

Relations between the two countries witnessed a boost after signing the Machakos Protocol, the first agreement signed between the government and the rebels in Kenya in July 2002 which was followed by final peace talks.

However, some media reports talked tried to portray Egypt as being afraid that the American, European and African pressures on Sudan could lead to more resignation to the Southern rebels, something that could lead to dividing the Sudan which would harm the Egyptian national security and all the area.

To Washington

Meanwhile, the Sudanese President and an official delegation were to visit the U.S. to complete the negotiations and to attend the forging of the final peace agreement between the government and the rebels, the Arabic London based Ashark Al-Awsat reported Sunday.

The paper added that the Sudanese Foreign Ministry produced 95 requests for visas to the American Embassy in Khartoum, but the U.S. gave only 19 visas including members in the delegation participating in the talks.

However, Sudanese sources pointed out that the timing of the sighing of the protocol would coincide with the American elections campaign.