Egypt’s president receives message from Sudan’s army chief amid clashes

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday received a message from Sudan’s army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The message was conveyed by Sudanese envoy Dafallah Haj Ali during his meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.

A statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said al-Burhan’s message tackled developments in neighboring Sudan amid clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to the statement, the Sudanese envoy expressed gratitude to the Egyptian government and people for their warm welcome and hospitality towards Sudanese citizens fleeing the conflict.

Shoukry, for his part, reiterated Egypt's position calling for an immediate cease-fire between all parties in Sudan to avoid bloodshed.

He also emphasized the importance of abiding by the cease-fire “to provide an opportunity for humanitarian relief operations, and to start a serious dialogue aimed at resolving the existing differences."

The Sudanese envoy’s visit to Egypt came after a similar visit to Saudi Arabia.

At least 528 people have been killed and more than 4,500 injured in the fighting between the Sudanese army and RSF since April 15, according to Sudan’s Health Ministry.

A disagreement had been fomenting in recent months between the army and the paramilitary force regarding the RSF’s integration into the armed forces, a key condition of Sudan's transition agreement with political groups.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in a move decried by political forces as a “coup.”

Sudan’s transitional period, which started in August 2019 after the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir, is scheduled to end with elections in early 2024.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi