Arab Summit ignores Egypt initiative to reject the military intervention in Mali

Arab Economic Summit, which concluded its activities on Tuesday in thecapital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, ignored a demand that was submittedto the summit, by the Egyptian President, Mohamed Morsi, to refusemilitary intervention in northern Mali, and support Algeria incombating terrorism.

The summit statement in three pages, and although it refers to issues

that are marginal for the summit, but did not respond to the

proposalof the Egyptian President, and did not mention at all, to what

is happening in the Sahel and the large Sahara, that will add a new

security crisis to the other problems that threaten the security and

stability of the Arab and Islamic worlds.

The Egyptian President, Mohamed Morsi, has confirmed at the opening of

the Arab Economic Summit, given that Egypt is head of the previous

session, his country’s rejection of military intervention in Mali, and

asked the Arab leaders to support Algeria against any attack that

threatens its security, saying in a speech at the opening of the

summit that the French military intervention in Mali would fuel the

conflict in the region, and stressed the need for a peaceful and

developed intervention.

Egyptian President’s call met with the official position of Algeria,

which refuses to deal with the security crisis in northern Mali

through a pure military solution, and goes to address the crisis from

its roots, through the elimination of discrimination in the

distribution of development resources, between southern Mali which

reins the central authority in the capital, Bamako, and the north,

which has been deprived of all the ingredients of development.

“Egypt rejects the creation of a new crisis to the bloody conflict in

central Africa, that would isolate the Northern Arab countries from

their African depth. Arab leaders should stand by Algeria in response

to anyone who tries to abuse its security and stability”, Morsi said.

“The situation is delicate and sensitive. There is a difference

between standing against an aggression or a military intervention in

Mali, and stand by our brothers in Algeria, in order to stop any

destruction and to confront any attack that threatens the security of

any Arab country”, he added in reference to the terrorist attack which

targeted the oil base of Ain Amenas, southern Algeria, which caused

the death of many civilians.

Head of the State’s Council, Abdelkader Ben Saleh, represented Algeria

in this summit, on behalf of the President Bouteflika. He took the

opportunity to assert in his speech that; “The terrorist attack which

targeted the oil center in Ain Amenas, will strengthen our decision

and insistence to combat terrorism”.

Saudi Foreign Minister, Saoud Al Faisal, said in a press conference

following the summit, that the initiative of the Saudi king Abdallah,

by visiting heads of capitals of the Arab companies, and large

companies with a capital of 50% (equivalent to $ 10 b), would

strengthen the efforts which aim to fund the active projects, which

have an Arab strategic goal.

The final statement of the summit includes a series of issues that

were considered by Arab leaders, as a key to realize a positive

exchange between Arab countries in both Economy and trade, like

adopting a unite agreement for investing capitals in Arab countries.