Egypt's outgoing Foreign Minister Nabil al-Araby on Wednesday urged for a peaceful solution to the crisis in Sudan's contested Abyei region.
Forces affiliated with northern Sudan's central government took control of the region four days ago, forcing nearly 150,000 people to flee from their homes, UN reports said.
Abyei has seen escalating violence since a January referendum in which a landslide majority of south Sudanese voted for independence. The vote did not include the oil-rich Abyei, designated as a neutral area.
Araby's statement said Egypt has been carefully watching the latest developments in Abyei.
The minister urged Sudan's ruling partners to act with restraint and seek peaceful resolutions for unresolved issues, particularly the Abyei crisis. He reiterated Egypt's readiness to provide support.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Menha Bakhoum also denounced an attack on the UN mission in Abyei, which injured two Egyptian personnel.
She called for preserving the safety of international forces which, she said, serve both north and south Sudan.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
