ISTANBUL

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Tuesday that his country "will not interfere in the internal affairs of Sudan and will continue its efforts for achieving a cease-fire.”

“What is happening in Sudan is an internal matter and should not be interfered with,” al-Sisi said in a televised speech during a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Egyptian Army.

He affirmed his country's readiness to "play a positive role to bring about calm and restore security and stability in Sudan."

“It is imperative for the conflicting Sudanese parties to sit at the negotiating table … to spare Sudan from further deterioration,” the Egyptian president said.

“We are in contact with the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in order to encourage a cease-fire, leading to negotiations to restore initial stability,” he added.

Al-Sisi pointed out that “the emphasis is on the security and safety of Egyptian soldiers in Sudan."

The Egyptian army announced Saturday that a group of its soldiers were "conducting joint training with their counterparts in Sudan, and coordination is underway to secure them."

Al-Sisi stressed that the Egyptian soldiers "were present in accordance with the protocol for joint training, and not to support or turn one party against another."

Fighting erupted Saturday between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF in the capital Khartoum and its surroundings.

More than 180 people have been killed and 1,800 injured in recent clashes between the military rivals, according to the UN.

* Ikram Kouachi contributed to this report