Qatar joins Gulf partners in backing Sisi’s Egypt

DOHA — Qatar joined its neighbours at a summit Tuesday in supporting Egypt under President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, whose crackdown on the Doha-backed Muslim Brotherhood had divided the Gulf monarchies for months.

In their final statement, leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) announced their “full support to Egypt, the government and people in achieving its stability and prosperity” as well as for the “political programme of President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi”.

The Egyptian army’s overthrow last year of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi strained ties with Qatar, which had been a key Morsi backer.

His ouster at a time when Sisi was army chief led to differences among Gulf states, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia hailing his replacement, while Qatar repeatedly denounced the takeover.

Tensions hit a low in March when Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE announced the withdrawal of their envoys from Qatar in protest at its “interference” in their internal affairs by supporting Islamists.

Egypt had already withdrawn its ambassador in February, although Doha has kept its envoy in Cairo.

In November, Gulf leaders agreed to return their ambassadors to Doha, signalling an end to the dispute, in a move hailed by Egypt as a “new era” in Arab solidarity.

Saudi King Abdullah last month urged “Egypt, the people and leadership, to seek with us the success of this [reconciliation] move as part of Arab solidarity”.

Ties between Cairo and Doha have also been strained over an Egyptian court’s jailing of three reporters from Qatar-based Al Jazeera television accused of backing the Brotherhood and spreading false information.

Cairo considers Al Jazeera as Doha’s voice after the channel repeatedly criticised its crackdown on Morsi’s supporters that has left at least 1,400 people dead since his ouster.