Osama El-Baz, center, a former close adviser to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak , attends a demonstration, in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Feb. 7, 2011. (Photo: AP)
Former diplomat, Osama El-Baz, died of illness Saturday at the age of 82.
El-Baz, one of Egypt's most prominent diplomatic figures, played a key role in drafting the 1979 Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel during the era of former president Anwar El-Sadat.
He later became the chief political aide to ousted president Hosni Mubarak.
El-Baz, who identified himself as a reformist, was sidelined during the latest years of the rule of Hosni Mubarak. El-Baz was even spotted during the 18 day Tahrir sit-in in January 2011 that caused the ousting of the Mubarak regime. He was however criticised by some Mubarak opponents for his close ties with the autocratic regime.
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