UNITY SOUGHT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22201, 11 December 1946, Page 5

UNITY SOUGHT

EGYPT J3UDAN NEW PREMIER’S AIMS SELF-GOVERNMENT ISSUE (9 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 10. The new Egyptian Cabinet, in which the leader. Nokrashy Pasha, is also Foreign Minister and Minister of the Interior, consists of six Saadists and six Liberals. In his letter to King Farouk accepting the Premiership, Nokrashy Pasha said his Government would give priority to the achievement of Egypt’s national demands, namely, the complete evacaution of British, troops and unity of Egypt and the Sudan under the Egyptian Crown. The Times' correspondent in Cairo says Nokrashy Pasha believes in the value of an alliance with Britain and

his acceptance of office means that he will endeavour to bring the treaty negotiations to a successful conclusion, but he is also a strong nationalist and patriotic Egyptian and his predisposition in favour of the alliance must not be taken as indicating that he will surrender what be believes to be legitimate Egyptian interests. tinder Egyptian Crown Nokrashy Pasha in his letter to King Farouk said: ‘‘Our policy is to modernise the Sudan until it reaches maturity for self-government, with the framework of permanent unity with Egypt under the Egyptian Crown.” Saying that the recent misunderstandings over the Sudan probably contributed as much to Sidky Pasha’s determination to resign as the verdict of his doctors that only a complete rest can restore him to health. The Times in a leading article emphasises that it is still not fully appreciated in Egypt that acknowledgment of Egyptian sovereignty over the Sudan in the Bevin-Sidky agreement was accompanied by a condition that nothing must be permitted to deflect the Sudanese Government from its task of preparing the Sudanese people for autonomy. Such a condition, The Times points out, was inevitable in view both of British responsibilities towards the Sudanese people and of an undertaking given by the Foreign Minister, Mr. Ernest Bevin. in the House of Commons last spring that in any arrangement that might be made with Egypt the Sudanese to determine their own political future would be maintained unimpaired. All that the British Government is concerned to establish. The Times says, is the right of the Sudanese when they attain autonomy to choose their own future, whether this future be independence or union with Egypt, and the first step towards removing the present misunderstandings must surely be an assurance by Nokrashy Pasha’s new Government that Egypt, like Britain, undertakes to promote the autonomy and eventual self-determination of the Sudanese people. Only Way of Agreement

Only in this way, The Times adds, can the Anglo-Egyptian view about the future of the Sudan be brought into agreement with each other and with the principles of the United Nations’ Charter.

In addition to Nokrashy Jasha, Saadist members of the Cabinet are:— Finance.—lbrahim Abdel Hadi Pasha. . Commerce and Industry.—Abdel Meguid Badr Pasha. Social Affairs.—Mahmoud Hassan Pasha.

Public Health.—Dr. Oey Guib Iskander.

Education. Abdel Razzag ElSanhouri. Liberal members are:— Public Works.—Abdel Meguid Ibrahim Saleh Pasha. Minister of Wakes (Islamic Charities). —Mohamed Ali Allouba Pasha. Communications.—Dr. Ibrahim Dessouki Abaza Pasha. National Defence. Major-General Ahmed Attiah Pasha. Justice. —Ahmed Mohamed Hashaba Pasha.

. Agriculture.—Ahmed Abdel GrafTar Pasha.