Egypt respects the sovereignty of Sudan and would not interfere to destabilise it or harm its people, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday in response to “Sudanese statements accusing Egypt of supporting Darfur rebel groups.”

Egypt’s foreign policy, according to the statement, is based on respecting international law and principles of good neighbourliness, especially when it comes to countries that have a special brotherly bond with Egypt such as Sudan.

“[Everyone] knows that Egypt was a major supporter of the unification of the north and south of Sudan, and that it made every effort to make unity the appealing choice for the people of South Sudan before [they chose] independence,” the statement read.

The ministry also expressed its “sorrow” that such accusations would surface after Egypt had “employed its diplomacy for almost 15 years to defend Sudan from foreign interference and attempts to impose sanctions on Sudanese officials.”

On Tuesday, Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir said in a public speech that his country’s army had foiled a huge conspiracy by intercepting vehicles carrying weapons, on their way from Libya and South Sudan.

Al-Bashir said that some of the weapons found were Egyptian.

Earlier this year, tensions grew between the two countries. However, Cairo and Khartoum have since agreed to work on a new phase of brotherly relations.

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