Backing for Sudan - Egypt - Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt is using every opportunity to emphasise its strong support for Sudanese unity and efforts to restore peace and stability in the country
International officials met in London on Tuesday to draw up a peace plan for the war in Sudan which erupted two years ago. However, neither the Sudanese government nor the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were invited.
Ramadan Qurani, an expert on African affairs, believes that Egypt has a role to play in presenting the Sudanese issue to the attendees at the conference. This is a way for Egypt, he added, to guarantee the rights of the Sudanese people while sticking to the principles of preserving the unity of Sudan and rejecting any external interference in its internal affairs.
Egypt together with the other African Union (AU) states were scheduled to take part at the London Conference.
The one-day conference, hosted by Britain, France, Germany, the European Union, and the AU, is an effort to relieve what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The war has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 14 million others from their homes, with more than three million people fleeing the country to neighbouring countries including Egypt.
Besides its participation at the London Conference, Egypt has been actively lobbying at various meetings for the stability, unity, and territorial integrity of Sudan. The regularity of the meetings has been ascribed to the developments that the neighbouring African country has seen.
Over the past few weeks, Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC), the regionally and internationally acknowledged ruler of the country, has managed to regain control over vast areas in the north and east of the country.
It has recaptured Khartoum's International Airport, and its military chief flew back to the capital for the first time in nearly two years of war. The RSF is still in control of the western region of Darfur.
Salah Halima, a former deputy to Egypt's foreign minister, explained that these victories are an opportunity for the TSC to reinstate security and peace in the country. The meeting with Sudanese officials is meant to reinforce Egypt's relationship with Sudan and discuss cooperation in various fields, he explained.
Strengthening bilateral relations between Egypt and Sudan and enhancing cooperation across various sectors were the main issues discussed during a meeting between head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service (GIS) Hassan Rashad and head of the TSC General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan in Port Sudan last week.
The two men also tackled efforts to restore stability in Sudan and highlighted the importance of joint action to end the war and maintain Sudan's unity and territorial integrity.
On a parallel note, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed Egypt's firm stance in supporting Sudan's stability, unity, and territorial integrity. His statement was made during a meeting with Al-Burhan on the sidelines of the Fourth Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey last week.
Egypt's top diplomat expressed Egypt's keenness to continue joint work with Sudan in the light of the historical relations that bind the two countries and peoples together.
Al-Burhan voiced his country's deep appreciation for Egypt's hosting of a large number of Sudanese people over recent years and stressed his support for strengthening bilateral ties in various fields.
Abdelatty has also held meetings with his Sudanese counterpart Ali Youssef Al-Sharif since the beginning of the year, during which he has reiterated Egypt's position of respecting Sudan's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
Another meeting was held last week by Egyptian Ambassador to Sudan Hani Salah with Lieutenant-General Ibrahim Jabir, a member of the TSC and assistant commander-in-chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces.
During the meeting, Salah highlighted the depth and strength of bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed Egypt's initiative to take part in the reconstruction of Sudan after the war.
The meeting also touched on the situation on the African continent, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel and the Sahara, in addition to issues related to Red Sea security.
In addition, Cairo hosted the Second Ministerial Meeting of the Khartoum Process last week that concluded by issuing the Cairo Declaration that highlights the key achievements of this Process since its launch in 2014 to foster international cooperation in fighting human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The Khartoum Process aims at establishing a continuous dialogue for enhanced cooperation on migration and mobility, an issue that is important to Sudan since it is suffering from various migration-related issues further aggravated because of the war.
Egypt's firm stand against any attempts to divide Sudan was clearly reflected in its rejection of the outcome of the Nairobi meeting in February at which the RSF tried to establish a parallel government, Qurani said.
'Egypt's firm and strong stand against that step prompted other regional and international parties, namely the Arab states, the US, the African Union, and the EU, to follow suit,' he told Al-Ahram Weekly.
The other challenge that unites Egypt and Sudan is the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). Egyptian-Sudanese coordination is very important here in order to deal with the possible repercussions of operating the dam, especially its expected effects on the Roseires Dam in Sudan and the Aswan High Dam in Egypt, he said.
Another challenge Halima pinpointed is the common danger that the two countries face in the Red Sea, especially in the light of the ongoing war on Gaza and its repercussions on the region.
He highlighted the Ethiopian wish to build a port on the Red Sea through its attempts to sign an agreement with Somaliland.
'The full coordination of positions between Cairo and Khartoum will allow both countries to better deal with the challenges facing them in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa,' he said.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 17 April, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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