KHARTOUM / ISTANBUL

Leaders of Sudan and Egypt discussed on Thursday ways to strengthen bilateral relations and the latest Sudanese developments amid ongoing fighting with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Head of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, arrived in Cairo for a one-day visit, and was welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi upon arrival.

An Egyptian presidency statement said the two leaders discussed the latest situation in Sudan and regional and international efforts to restore peace and stability in the country.

Sisi affirmed Egypt’s support for the Sudanese people and its firm position on Sudan's unity, sovereignty, security, and stability.

In another statement, the presidency reiterated support for US President Donald Trump’s vision to achieve peace and security in Sudan, expressing concern over the ongoing escalation across the neighboring country, especially in the besieged city of El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur State.

The statement called the unity and national security of Sudan a “red line” that cannot be crossed or compromised and rejected any parallel unities within the country.

In July, Sudan Founding Alliance, a coalition led by the RSF, announced the formation of a parallel government in Sudan, headed by RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

“Egypt asserts its full right to take all necessary measures and procedures covered by international law and the joint military cooperation agreement between the two sister countries to ensure that these red lines are not touched or exceeded,” the presidency statement said.

The meeting also addressed the two countries’ rejection of any unilateral measures in the Blue Nile, a tributary of the Nile River, stressing the necessity to respect international law that protects the interests of all countries in the region.

For his part, Burhan expressed his appreciation for Egypt's continued support to Sudan and efforts to end the ongoing crisis, stressing that this reflected “the depth of the brotherly relations between the two countries.”

The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has since killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.

Of Sudan’s 18 states, the RSF controls all five states of the Darfur region in the west, except for some northern parts of North Darfur that remain under army control. The army, in turn, holds most areas of the remaining 13 states in the south, north, east, and center, including the capital, Khartoum.