Qatar, Egypt intelligence chiefs discuss 'reconciliation' in Cairo

Intelligence chiefs from Egypt and Qatar met in Cairo on Tuesday to discuss “possible reconciliation” to end a rift over Doha’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

Reuters reported that head of Qatari intelligence Ahmed Nasser bin Jassim al-Thani spoke to his Egyptian counterparts about a planned meeting in Riyadh for January between their respective heads of state.

Relations have been strained between Doha and Cairo since the popularly backed July 2013 military coup in Egypt that saw freely elected Mohammed Morsi deposed and replaced by former army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.

Military-backed authorities in Egypt have been angered by Qatari support for the now banned Muslim Brotherhood – numerous members of the group have sought shelter in Doha after a far-reaching crackdown under the new Sisi presidency.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE agreed to end a long-running rift with Qatar in November over the latter’s support for popular uprisings against autocratic rule in the region. Riyadh is now attempting to broker a similar rapprochement between Doha and Cairo, which appears to have borne fruit in recent days.

The Doha-based Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr news channel – devoted to covering news from Egypt – announced on Monday that it had suspended broadcasts from the Qatari capital until “conditions are favourable” for resuming work from Egypt.

The channel has been criticised by Cairo for coverage viewed as favourable to the Muslim Brotherhood and its closure came two days after Sisi had received a Qatari envoy following Saudi mediation.

While Al Jazeera said the decision to suspend broadcasts had been a strategic one, analysts told MEE the move had come as a result of strong pressure from fellow Gulf states.

“It seems that Qatar has been under a lot of pressure from the GCC countries, especially from Riyadh and Abu Dhabi to restore its ties with Egypt,” said Mohammed Mohsen Abo El-Nour, an Egyptian political analyst specialised in international relations.

“I believe Qatar decided to close down the channel completely instead of changing its editorial policies in a move to mend relations with Egypt.”

The suspension of Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr has prompted rumour that three Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt may be released imminently. In June Australian Peter Greste and Canadian Mohamed Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison while Egyptian Baher Mohamed was ten years, after a trial globally condemned as unfair.

It is not known if the release of the Al Jazeera journalists was discussed during talks between the intelligence chiefs on Tuesday.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, however, said on Wednesday that Greste’s case was “under consideration” in senior echelons of the Egyptian government and expressed hope he would be released by the end of the year.