MANAMA – Bahrain’s foreign minister said on Monday it was “completely untrue” that Kuwait would mediate to resolve the country’s political crisis, a reaction leading opposition group Wefaq said augured badly for any resolution. Shi’ite muslim Wefaq said on Sunday it accepted an offer by Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah to mediate between Bahrain’s Sunni al-Khalifa ruling family and opposition groups. Earlier this month, Bahrain’s rulers imposed martial law in the Gulf Arab island kingdom and called in troops from fellow Sunni-ruled Gulf neighbours to quell weeks of unrest during pro-democracy demonstrations.
That meant talks proposed by Bahrain’s crown prince never happened. And on Monday, Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said on his Twitter page there were no plans for Kuwaiti-led dialogue. “Any talk about Kuwaiti mediation in Bahrain is completely untrue, there were previous efforts that were not answered, but these were ended by the act of National Safety (martial law).
