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Egyptian-British talks stressed “the necessity of stopping attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

On Wednesday, on the sidelines of the “fall” meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty discussed with his British counterpart, Ed Miliband, the current developments in the region, the increase in tension and escalation, and the repercussions of this continuing on security and stability in the region and the world, in addition to the direct repercussions on energy security and food security.

The two ministers agreed on “the extreme importance of continuing joint efforts to reduce the escalation, giving priority to political and diplomatic solutions, and rejecting and condemning the attacks on Saudi Arabia and the importance of stopping them immediately.”

The Egyptian Foreign Minister had affirmed, on Tuesday, “his country’s readiness to provide all forms of support and respond to any requests from the Saudi side, which reflects the depth of the brotherly relations and strategic ties that unite the two countries, and the common interest in preserving the security and stability of the region.”

At the time, he stressed “the necessity of immediately stopping all attacks targeting the territory of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” He said, “There is no justification for these attacks and they cannot be accepted,” and pointed out the importance of reducing escalation and containing regional tensions in light of their negative repercussions on the security and stability of countries in the region and the entire world.

According to Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nader Zaki, during the meeting on Wednesday, the Egyptian and British Foreign Ministers agreed on “the importance of continuing to advance cooperation relations between the two countries in various fields, especially investment, economic and trade, in a way that reflects the existing partnership between the two countries, while continuing to follow up on the implementation of what was agreed upon within the framework of the partnership agreement between the two countries.”

Regarding the situation in Sudan, the two ministers exchanged views on the current field and political developments, and the efforts made to support reaching a settlement of the crisis, as Abdel-Aty stressed “the importance of continuing the movements aimed at containing the Sudanese crisis and preserving the unity of Sudan and the integrity of its lands and national institutions.”

The two sides also discussed the Egyptian role in supporting efforts to resolve the crisis, in addition to the British role in the Security Council, in light of the United Kingdom’s role as pen-holder regarding the Sudanese file. “The need to stop the flow of weapons to the militia, and to support national state institutions in order to provide the conditions for a ceasefire,” was discussed.

In another context, Badr Abdel Ati stressed “Egypt’s keenness to strengthen the partnership with the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and support joint Arab action institutions.” During a meeting with the Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, Fawzi Youssef Al-Haneef, on Wednesday, on the sidelines of the “fall” meetings, he appreciated the support that the Fund provides to Egypt through soft financing for development and strategic projects, stressing “the importance of developing more flexible financing tools to confront regional and international challenges.” “Including disruptions to trade and supply chains, debt burdens, food and water security challenges, and climate change.”

He also stressed “the importance of strengthening the Fund’s role in mobilizing Arab financing and investments in Egypt, and encouraging Arab investors and financial institutions to benefit from promising opportunities, in addition to expanding joint financing and partnerships with regional and international financial institutions, in a way that supports economic development and enhances the role of the private sector.”

According to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the two sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in joint regional projects, especially in the fields of electrical connectivity, transportation, logistics, food security, and cross-border infrastructure, in a way that enhances Arab economic integration and consolidates Egypt’s position as a hub for linking the Arab world, Africa, and Europe.

Three phases were launched by the Egyptian army, from June to October, in the face of the phenomenon of “ragging” on the border with Sudan, with the growth of illegal exploration there, before Sudanese talk arose about a bombing incident on the border that caused deaths and injuries.

Egyptian experts in military and strategic affairs, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat, believe that the “invaders” carry with them risks to stability and national security, and there is no alternative to confronting them and confronting this phenomenon, pointing out that this is what the Egyptian army’s campaigns have been based on since last June.

Experts expected that the measures would become more stringent to confront any violation of the borders, especially since it is not unlikely that random gold prospecting could turn into “hotbeds of support for terrorist groups.”

Video releases broadcast by the Egyptian military spokesman, since the start of the “Southern Shield” campaign to confront the threat of “invasion,” indicate that illegal gold prospecting “is no longer just an assault on the state’s wealth, but has turned into an organized criminal activity that threatens national security and fuels weapons, drug, and human smuggling crimes.”

One of the publications stated that the southern regions are located within a rich mineral belt, and are witnessing an expansion in legal mining operations, “however, criminal networks have exploited the rugged mountainous nature to establish hotspots for illegal exploration using heavy equipment, four-wheel drive vehicles, and advanced communications devices.”

The military spokesman confirmed that these groups “include Egyptian and foreign armed elements, some of whom were involved in assaulting army and police forces and targeting mining companies operating legally, which forced the implementation of a broad security campaign based on accurate intelligence information to dismantle these hotspots and dry up the sources of threat.”

In Sudan, the Transitional Sovereignty Council announced that it had “formed a fact-finding committee regarding the incident to which a number of Sudanese miners were exposed in the border region between Egypt and Sudan.”

The Council said in an official statement, on Monday, that “the committee includes representatives of the Public Prosecution and the judicial and security authorities, to investigate the circumstances of the incident and determine all the circumstances and facts related to it.”

In Egypt, army spokesman Colonel Staff Ahmed Etman announced in a statement on Monday that law enforcement elements from the armed forces and civil police “continued implementing the third phase of the major campaign to confront illegal exploration for gold ore in the Eastern Desert, after dropping warning leaflets on criminal elements to impose full sovereignty within the borders of the Egyptian state and protect its national capabilities and wealth.”

The first phase against illegal gold ore mining groups took place in June; The army reported that during that month, “58 incidents of random prospecting for gold ore were seized, 20 metal detectors, 118 electrical machines, and 86 tons of stones mixed with gold ore were seized.”

Egyptian strategic expert Major General Samir Farag, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, stressed the vital and decisive role that protecting regional borders represents in preserving the value and stability of the state.

He pointed out that Sudan “is currently in an unstable situation, which has a negative impact on the border conditions and their security,” pointing out that this in turn leads to “illegal movements by gangs infiltrating the Egyptian borders, targeting the smuggling of weapons and drugs, as well as illegal prospecting for gold, which prompts Egypt to protect its borders and nothing more.”

He went on to say: “The raiders are trained gangs that carry serious risks to Egyptian national security, and leave hotbeds of threat in the south of the country that open the door to widespread threats.”

Regarding the measures taken by the concerned authorities, he said that they include strengthening border guard points, and intensifying mounted and roaming patrols using modern vehicles and satellite communication technologies, to ensure the prevention of any illegal presence within Egyptian territory.

The Egyptian military and strategic expert, Major General Staff Osama Kabir, believes that the phenomenon of “invasion” threatens national security through two basic items, “the first of which is the security threat to the borders, because they penetrate them, bring in illegal workers, and possess weapons.” Pointing out that what is happening is a confrontation with elements who have crossed the borders before they were illegal gold prospectors.

He added in his statements to Asharq Al-Awsat: “This illegal activity goes beyond gold mining and is linked to vast smuggling and infiltration networks that include illegal immigration, the human trafficking mafia, and the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and ammunition that contribute to spreading crime and terrorism within the country.”

The second threat, according to Kabir, is the economic threat, “given that the country’s capabilities, its mineral wealth, its soil, its ores, its gold, its antiquities, and everything that is considered one of the economic components of the state are threatened, especially with the theft of gold and the depletion and smuggling of mineral wealth. Therefore, security and military campaigns protect the law.”

Major General Faraj says that the armed forces and security services are committed in these campaigns to strictly implement legal rules, and to deal decisively in accordance with official procedures and established warnings against any attempts to breach the border or escape after committing smuggling and sabotage crimes.

Major General Kabir points out that there is complete and joint coordination between the armed forces and the police during these campaigns within the framework of law enforcement through professional and carefully organized plans.

Kabir expects the continuation of these campaigns with the aim of protecting the country's regional, geographical and political borders, dealing decisively with violators in accordance with the laws, taking into account the humanitarian dimension, examining the positions of individuals in custody to deport those not involved, and taking strict judicial measures against active elements in acts of sabotage and smuggling.