Egypt- Qatar row escalates

Cairo summons Iranian diplomat over Tehran’s recent statements

Egypt will summon its ambassador from Qatar later this month, reported the official Middle East Agency yesterday, in an escalating diplomatic row between the two countries.

“The Egyptian government has decided to summon the ambassador for consultations … in response to the rejected Qatari interference in the country’s affairs,” added the agency, citing what it termed as well- informed sources. The move, according to the report, will be taken after a referendum on a draft constitution due to be held in Egypt in mid- January.

Egypt on Saturday summoned the Qatari ambassador in Cairo to protest Doha’s condemnation of a security crackdown on supporters of the deposed Islamist president Mohammad Mursi. A day later, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabeel Fahmy threatened further unspecified steps in reaction to what Cairo sees as Qatar’s meddlesome policy.

Relations between the two Arab countries have seriously deteriorated since July when the army toppled Mursi of whom Qatar is a staunch political and financial supporter. Qatar criticised on Friday a recent decision by the Egyptian authorities designating Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group. The Egyptian government and media have repeatedly accused Qatar and its TV network Al Jazeera of being biased towards Mursi and the Brotherhood.

Meanwhile, Egypt yesterday summoned the Iranian charge d’affaires in Cairo to protest over recent Iranian statements on Egypt, the foreign ministry said. Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham had said last Saturday that her country was worried by the escalation in violence between Egypt’s army and protesters supporting Mursi.

Faced with insurgency, terrorist attacks and post- revolution instability Egypt is going through a difficult transition period that requires support from regional states now more than ever before. As it rebuilds its institutions and works on protecting the country from internal and external threats, it is incumbent on Egypt’s Arab neighbours to lend a hand of support to the nation and refrain from taking actions that may act as a hurdle to Egypt’s move towards reconciliation and democracy.

So far, most Gulf countries have shown sufficient support to Egypt’s transitional authorities and have largely refrained from interfering in its domestic affairs. It is, however, unfortunate that Qatar has departed from the Gulf Cooperation Council consensus and gone it alone once again to criticise the way in which Egypt’s authorities have conducted their affairs. Two important Arab countries that have played a significant role in the region’s affairs should not be quarrelling over such matters. Egypt is going through a period of self- reflection and has begun to start looking inwards as a result. Qatar, too, has gone through a transition in the past year and should be able to relate to Egypt’s sensitivities of perceived interference at such a sensitive time.

Even the smallest action that Egypt perceives to be an interference is likely to further trigger tensions and lead to unexpected knee- jerk reactions that can lead to a dangerous escalation that Qatar and the Gulf states would be keen to avoid.