Egypt will not accept any foreign intervention in Syria, which saw its Arab League membership suspended on Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr said today.

According to the United Nations, more than 3,500 people have been killed by the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad since a popular uprising erupted early this year amid an unprecedented wave of protests throughout the Arab world.

Syria hammered out a deal with the Arab League on 2 November aimed at ending the bloodshed, but later backtracked on the agreement. The turnaround prompted the league to suspend Syria’s membership in the pan-Arab organisation on Saturday in a surprise move.

Egypt supported the decision to suspend Syria’s membership but has stressed that it would oppose any foreign intervention in the troubled country.

“The unity of Syria is an absolute priority; we must keep it intact under any circumstances,” Amr said in a statement. “Our position remains unchanged: we want an immediate halt to violence and protection for civilians.”

“Dialogue between all parties is necessary to get out of this crisis, and that was included in the Arab League initiative that was rejected by Syria,” he added.

The Arab League has also called on member states to withdraw their respective ambassadors from Damascus, and has floated the possibility of imposing economic and political sanctions on the country.

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