CAIRO/ISTANBUL

Egypt and Saudi Arabia stressed the need on Friday for a ceasefire in Sudan and the full implementation of the Gaza agreement.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke on the phone with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

A Foreign Ministry statement said the two ministers highlighted the “deep and strong fraternal ties” between Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the growing momentum in political, economic and development cooperation.

They reaffirmed the importance of reaching a ceasefire in Sudan and “creating conditions for launching an inclusive political process that preserves Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and stability.”

Sudan has been locked in a deadly war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. It has killed at least 40,000 people and displaced 12 million, according to the World Health Organization.

Last week, the RSF said it had agreed to join a humanitarian truce proposed by the Quad -- Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the US, and the UAE. The Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, however, rejected any truce or peace agreement with the RSF on Friday until the group first lays down its weapons.

Last month, the RSF captured El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, amid reports of mass killings and atrocities against civilians.

Abdelatty and bin Farhan also discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and underscored the importance of continued Egyptian-Saudi coordination to support efforts aimed at sustaining the ceasefire deal in the enclave.

The top diplomats emphasized the need to “push toward the full implementation of all provisions of the agreement to ensure a permanent ceasefire and alleviate the humanitarian suffering” of Palestinians in the enclave, according to the statement.

The ceasefire deal took effect Oct. 10 under US President Donald Trump’s phased peace plan. Israel, however, has continued to violate the agreement and delay the start of its second phase, which includes security and administrative arrangements and Israeli withdrawals.

More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 170,700 injured in a deadly Israeli war in Gaza since October 2023.