" The killing of one of the Egyptian military observers who are taking part in the African peacekeeping mission in Darfur is currently being investigated to know whether the killing was motivated by robbery as some news agencies reported or whether there were other targets for groups aiming at playing down the Egyptian role in Sudan,"Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit said in an exclusive statement to Al-Gomhuria on May 27,2007.

He further said that the killing of Lt. General Ihab Ahmed at his home in Alfasher, the capital of Darfur, was not the first incident as five military persons from Senegal and three or four persons from Ruwanda were earlier killed in the same region.

Abul-Gheit said we can not jump to conclusions and blame anybody for the incident without elaborate investigations.

He said there might be some quarters which are seeking to restrict the Egyptian military presence or willing us to withdraw the field hospital we have established there and give the Egyptians a clear-cut message that they have no place in Sudan.

However, he said we can not jump to conclusions and consider the killing of the Egyptian officer as having been intended, adding Egypt was efficiently playing its national role as regards its national security. Minister Abul-Gheit said Egypt plays a big role in the world peacekeeping missions referring to the deployment of Egyptian troops in Bosnia Herzegovina.

He said some Egyptians fell martyrs during the past 40 years adding our martyrs were not the first and would not be the last.

He said he was aware that the selection of Egyptian troops within peacekeeping troops in Darfur was not much significant in spite of the fact that Egypt was offering much troops and units.

He said Egypt has 53 military elements and more than 100 of civilian policemen adding Egypt had taken part in the heavy support service which was assigned with coordinating between the African Union's troops and international peacekeeping troops.

Lt. Col. Ihab Ahmed was exposed to an armed offensive against his home and the security bodies were currently making utmost efforts to uncover elements behind the offensive.

An official source said these attacks would not hinder the Egyptian role in maintaining peace and security in Darfur given the fact that the Egyptian participation was highly welcomed by the sons of the province.

Moreover, Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir thanked Egypt's willingness to take apart in the proposed hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force in Darfur.

In statements on Saturday, the Sudanese President said Egypt was trying to help establish peace in the western Sudanese region, voicing his appreciation of President Hosni Mubarak's role.