Egypt's latest diplomatic moves show that its regional clout cannot be overlooked, Dina Ezzat reports With an unprecedented visit to Juba, south of Sudan, and an unusual press conference at the presidential headquarters with Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, President Hosni Mubarak seemed to be sending a clear message this week that the political influence of Egypt is not to be underestimated. On Tuesday, President Mubarak arrived in Sudan for a one-day visit, previously unannounced. Mubarak visited Khartoum where he met with his Sudanese counterpart Omar Al-Bashir. He also went to southern Sudan in an unprecedented visit by an Egyptian head of state where he met with Silva Kiir who is threatening separation in two years from the north in accordance with a referendum agreed on as part of the North-South peace accord. In talks with Al-Bashir, Mubarak addressed ways to promote a peace deal between the Khartoum regime and the rebels of Darfur. Egypt last week hosted leaders of several rebel groups to promote peace. The objective of Egyptian efforts is twofold. A peace deal on Darfur would likely spare Al-Bashir from worrying about charges that the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court wishes to level against him for alleged genocide and other crimes against humanity in Darfur. It would also reassert Egypt's traditional -- but recently challenged -- role as the primary outside political actor on the Sudanese scene. Iran has been taking a strong foothold in Sudan. Egyptian sources have not publicly expressed concern over this development, but have been vocal with Sudanese officials. Egyptian-Iranian relations are tense and Egypt is particularly sensitive to Iranian influence on Sudan in view of the 1995 assassination attempt on President Mubarak by Islamist militants that Cairo believed were Iranian agents. Egypt is hoping that it can work closely with Libya, a key player in Sudan, to promote a Darfur peace deal. Qatar is separately attempting to sponsor a peace deal between Khartoum and the Darfur rebels. Cairo, sources acknowledge, is not particularly happy in having its traditional role in Sudan challenged by Doha. Meanwhile, in talks with Kiir, Mubarak stressed the importance of Sudan's unity. He promised greater Egyptian involvement to promote development in Sudan. In particular, Mubarak announced the coming inauguration of a branch of Alexandria University in Juba, where Egypt also has a permanent diplomatic mission that acts in coordination with its embassy in Khartoum. Mubarak's historic visit to Juba was agreed on with Sudanese Foreign Minister Deng Alor who met with Mubarak in Cairo two weeks ago. The visit was tailored essentially to dissuade southern leaders from pursuing separation. But it is also aimed to cement ties with southern leaders should separation become inevitable, as Cairo increasingly fears. Egyptian officials say that the last thing Egypt wants is to see the emergence a hostile independent Southern Sudan state. Mubarak's visit to Sudan came less than two days after an unusual press conference held with visiting Lebanese President Suleiman in Cairo. Suleiman's visit came at the tail end of several visits to the capital by Lebanese political leaders, including controversial Christian leader Samir Geagea, all received by President Mubarak. During talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy late last month, Mubarak expressed an Egyptian commitment to work closely with France in promoting peace in Lebanon. "Everybody knows well that the civil accord in Lebanon is very fragile and the French would like to secure Egypt's support on that," commented an Egyptian official. This week in Cairo for talks with Egyptian and Arab League officials, Michael Williams, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, stressed the crucial role of Egypt and the pan-Arab organisation in consolidating and expanding national reconciliation in Lebanon ahead of elections next year. The visible involvement of Egypt in the Lebanese political scene started in August when former Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami visited Mubarak in Alexandria and lobbied for Egyptian support to secure Lebanon's weak civil accord. It comes against the backdrop of tensions with Syria, the long-time most influential Arab state in Lebanon. "Egypt is not at all attempting to antagonise Syria. We are not going to Lebanon in search of influence. We are going there to pursue solid civil peace, because we are worried," commented an Egyptian diplomatic source. According to this source Cairo has received "information" indicating that tension might be reignited in Lebanon in the countdown to legislative elections next spring. "We have enough instabilities to our east and we do not wish to see more tension," the source added. Egyptian diplomacy used to be highly influential in Lebanon during the rule of Gamal Abdel-Nasser and in the early years of the presidency of Anwar El-Sadat. However, since the Syrian intervention to end the Lebanese Civil War, Cairo reduced its engagement in Lebanese affairs. Since the Syrian withdrawal in 2005, Cairo has been observing a growing attempt by Qatar to replace Syrian influence and has not been comfortable with it, in light of Qatar's "unclear relations with Hizbullah," according to one Egyptian official. Hizbullah is perceived by Egypt to be an influential political player that cannot be overlooked. However, it is also perceived to be "an agent for the expansion of Iranian influence in the Arab world", the official said. The Egyptian show of political clout comes on the eve of the accession of US President-elect Barack Obama to power on 20 January 2009. Egypt is hopeful that it can use its regional influence to impress the new US administration. The objective is to sustain what Cairo likes to qualify as "exceptionally close ties with Washington", and ultimately to maintain US military and economic assistance to Egypt. "Egypt's regional influence is obviously a reason for any US administration to defend the assistance package before the newly elected Congress questions any financial assistance in view of the economic crisis," said an Egyptian diplomatic source on condition of anonymity. He added, "and there is nothing wrong with Egypt trying to use its regional influence to serve its national interests."
