Egypt’s FM heads to Sudan for talks with senior officials amid ongoing crisis

CAIRO – 15 January 2025: Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty is traveling to Port Sudan on Wednesday for meetings with senior officials to discuss the latest developments in the country.

Abdelatty’s visit aims to enhance bilateral relations, build on recent ministerial visits between the two countries, and continue providing support to Sudan, according to a statement from the ministry.

This visit is taking place in accordance with directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

DIRE SITUATION

The foreign minister’s trip comes as the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has been ongoing since April 2023, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions, many of whom have sought refuge in Egypt.

The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) reported this month that the Sudanese conflict has led to famine conditions in five areas across the country.

Famine may also spread to five additional regions, including Um Kadadah and El Fasher, by mid-2025, with 17 other areas at high risk without urgent intervention, says the office.

This week marks a strategic achievement for the the Sudanese Armed Forces, with its forces entering into Wad Madani, a strategic city near Khartoum that serves as a crossroads for key supply highways linking several states, pushing out the RSF.

The RSF continues to control the remainder of Gezira state, nearly all of Sudan’s western Darfur region, and large areas of the south, while the army maintains control over the north, east, and parts of the capital, Khartoum.

LATEST SUDAN VISIT

Abdelatty visited Port Sudan last month, where he met with top officials and emphasized Egypt’s belief that the future of Sudan can only be determined by the Sudanese people themselves, without external interference.

He reiterated that Egypt stands with the Sudanese people and state institutions, which are essential for safeguarding the nation and its resources.

 

During his meeting with General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, Abdelatty affirmed Egypt’s commitment to engaging effectively in regional and global efforts to achieve stability in Sudan.

He also highlighted Egypt’s efforts to facilitate Sudan’s participation in all African Union (AU) activities.

Sisi received Burhan in November during the 12th edition of the World Urban Forum in Cairo. The president reiterated Egypt's firm position aimed at achieving a ceasefire and ending the bloodshed in Sudan.

CEASEFIRE ENDEAVORS

Since the outbreak of war in 2023, Egypt has advocated for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to halt the crisis, preventing further loss of innocent lives and destruction of property.

Egypt has aligned itself with global initiatives led by the United States and Saudi Arabia aimed at ending the conflict and has contributed to establishing a ministerial mechanism involving the foreign ministers of Sudan’s neighboring states to coordinate collective efforts in resolving the crisis.

In July 2023, Cairo hosted the Sudan Neighboring States Summit, where heads of state and government from the Central African Republic, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, and South Sudan convened to discuss potential solutions to the crisis.

Last July, Egypt also organized a conference for Sudanese civil and political factions.