CAIRO — Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi denied allegations Wednesday by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir that Egyptian armored vehicles were used by rebels in recent attacks in the Darfur region.
El-Sissi said in a press conference at the presidential palace that Egypt is committed to a policy of “no interference in the affairs of others.”
“We wouldn’t conspire against anyone, especially not our family and neighbors,” El-Sissi asserted during the press conference, held jointly with visiting Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern.
Bashir had said in a televised speech at the Sudanese Defense Ministry on Tuesday that Sudanese forces that repelled two attacks on Saturday in the Darfur region and confiscated Egyptian armored vehicles.
Bashir lamented Egypt’s alleged role in the attack, adding that it has not supported the Sudanese government’s long-standing battle with rebels “even with one bullet.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement posted on the ministry’s Facebook page that Egypt respects Sudan’s sovereignty and has never taken part in efforts to destabilize the country.
Tension has grown between the neighboring North African countries recently, mainly fueled by a border dispute over a patch of territory on the Red Sea coast known as the Halayeb Triangle.