By Nevine Khalil On the occasion of the 20th Africa-France summit, Egyptian government officials last week held intensive talks with representatives from several governments involved in various African conflicts. This was the first time that President Hosni Mubarak has attended the summit in person, indicating Cairo's intention of asserting influence in its home continent against a background of increasing Israeli interest in Africa. Cairo also sought to consolidate its role as peacekeeper in Africa and the Middle East, with Mubarak declaring that Cairo "does not interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries, and does not supply arms to conflicting parties in Africa". During the two-day summit, which brought together leaders from 49 nations, including 34 heads-of-state, Egypt offered to host the first ever summit of African and European nations planned for the year 2000. Mubarak told reporters that he was personally attending this year's summit because "there are many problems regarding security and other issues." He said that Egypt was concerned with stability in Africa. Egypt's relations with other African countries continue to thrive. Last year, Foreign Minister Amr Moussa led a high-profile tour of the continent accompanied by 33 businessmen, aimed at enhancing economic and political ties. Trade between Egypt and the rest of Africa reached a level of $208 million in 1996, a threefold increase since 1990 and this autumn, Egypt became a full member of the Economic Community for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Cairo also shares many African governments' concerns regarding economic development, the necessity of the peaceful resolution of conflicts, the enhancement of the Organisation of African Unity's role in conflict-resolution, the possibility of African countries becoming permanent UN Security Council members, the revival of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the creation of an African Economic Community. Also of great interest to the Egyptian government are South African President Nelson Mandela's attempts to mediate between the Khartoum government and the rebels in southern Sudan, and his unflagging support for Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, whose country has been under a UN flight ban and other sanctions since 1992. African countries at last June's OAU summit voted to ignore the flight ban on Libya and several African leaders including the presidents of the Congo, Chad and Sudan have since travelled there by air, most recently President of Djibouti Hassan Gouled who visited Tripoli on Tuesday. Gaddafi himself has also flown to destinations in Africa, most conspicuously to Cairo to attend the 1996 Arab summit. The Libyans were not invited to this year's Paris summit. In a meeting with the Libyan ambassador to Paris, Ali Treki, Mubarak was handed a written message by Gaddafi complaining of Libya's exclusion. France had said that it could not invite Libya and Sudan because both were subject to UN sanctions. Gaddafi said the excuse was "not convincing" but on Tuesday praised France's efforts in fostering African solidarity. Mubarak, Moussa and Chief Political Adviser Osama El-Baz also held their own extensive talks on African security with the leaders of Senegal, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Congo, Liberia and the Comoro Islands. Mubarak's talks with President of Senegal Abdo Diouf focused on the latest development in the crisis in Guinea Bissau and the situation in East Africa and the Horn of Africa. Before leaving Paris on Saturday, Mubarak held a meeting with President of Congo Laurent Kabila at the end of which he invited Kabila to visit Egypt for further talks. Sources said that the two leaders will discuss Egypt's role in helping to resolve the Congolese crisis. Although a cease-fire agreement was announced in Paris on Saturday, rebel leader Ernest Wamba Dia Wamba later said that he would not sign it. Sources revealed that sharp words were exchanged on the first day of the summit between certain leaders, including those of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda. Sources say that Mubarak and Chirac asked the parties to keep their disputes out of the general sessions. An OAU conference will be held in Burkina Faso in mid-December to discuss ways of solving the problems of war-divided Congo and of resolving Eritrea's dispute with Ethiopia. Hours after his return to Cairo on Sunday, Mubarak met with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to discuss ways of ending Eritrea's border dispute with Ethiopia and the possible role of the OAU in finding a solution to the six-month-old conflict. Mubarak had similar talks in Paris two days earlier with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Tensions remain high, however, as Afwerki later told reporters that the dispute stemmed from "Ethiopia's expansionist policies and impractical conditions that call for laying siege to Eritrea and the infringement of its sovereignty". Djibouti's President Hassan Gouled was in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss the dispute, which has caused the severance of Djibouti's diplomatic ties with Eritrea after Djibouti was accused of siding with Ethiopia. During the summit's opening ceremony, Chirac praised the efforts made by African leaders to settle the continent's disputes peacefully. He pledged France's assistance on the key issues of security and development. Mubarak emphasised that security in Africa cannot be achieved without economic, political and social stability, adding that regional peace requires that governments do not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan expressed concern over the increased conflicts in Africa and called on the parties in the Congo dispute to "compromise and choose peace". Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, in his capacity as president of OAU, called for the laying down of foundations for sustainable human development in Africa. "The legitimate rights of the African peoples to live in peace are currently facing obstacles," he said. During bilateral talks on Thursday, Mubarak and Chirac focused on the Middle East peace process and Iraq. Both presidents praised the "unblocking" of the peace process, but stressed that they still had concerns for the region's future. "The spirit of Oslo must be adhered to," Chirac told Mubarak. The two presidents also discussed the Franco-Egyptian proposal made last May for a world peace summit to save the peace process. "The initiative will be on the table when we reach a dead end, but currently we are concerned with the Wye River Accord and its implementation," Mubarak said. The two leaders criticised the "incomprehensible and unacceptable" attitude of Iraq during the latest crisis over UN weapons inspection, declaring that a repeat could expose Baghdad to fierce international reaction. "We cannot put a time-frame for the lifting of sanctions against Iraq," Mubarak later told reporters. "When Iraq implements UN resolutions, only then can we talk about time-frames." He noted that the threat to use US military force against Iraq still exists. "It is still an option," he warned. "If Iraq does not abide by UN resolutions, I fear there will be a strike against Iraq, perhaps without [prior] consultations this time." The president added that although a military strike was avoided last February, and again last month, "God only knows what will happen next time."
