- The Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, could not swallow his government's fury over interference by the international community [even the United States of America] in its internal affairs.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister was reacting to mountains of pressures from the United States’ Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, who faulted an Egyptian court for failing to release an outstanding opposition leader, Ayman Nur, from prison on health grounds.
The 43-year-old lawyer, who has been sent to jail for five years after he was convicted of forging affidavits to legalise Al-Ghad party, has been battling with severe diabetes. Until last month, he has been the head of the party. He emerged second behind President Hosni Mubarak in the country’s first multi-candidate presidential elections in 2005.
His supporters saw his conviction as politically-motivated, though the government kept denying the allegations.
Mr Gheit said though Egypt and America have had healthy diplomatic and bilateral relations, but the country would not allow the latter to interfere in its internal affairs, especially those that relate to legal matters.
In July, Cairo dismissed had similar beef with the United States, describing President Bush‘s call for the release of Mr Nur as "unacceptable."
The detained opposition leader’s wife, Gamila Ismail, protested that Mr Bush’s comments on democracy in Praque could be a blow to the legal appeal of her husband.
The Egyptian Foreign Minister blamed President Bush for uttering what he called “an unacceptable interference in our internal affairs.”
Trumpeting for “the immediate and unconditional release of Nur,” Mr Bush expressed Washington’s readiness to use its influence to urge Egypt to "to move toward freedom.”
Egypt’s parliamentary committee on foreign relations also launched scathing attacks on Mr Bush, asking him to “talk about prisoners of Guantanamo Bay who are deprived of the simplest of legal defence guaranteed by all human rights conventions.”
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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