Sudan’s military leader, Abdel-Fattah Burhan, held talks with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo on Thursday as regional and international pressure grows to find a way out of Sudan’s devastating war.
The meeting followed Burhan’s visit to Riyadh earlier this week, where he met with Saudi officials. Around the same time, U.S. envoy Massad Boulos was also in the Saudi capital and held discussions with Saudi authorities, though there was no official confirmation that he met directly with Burhan.
After the Cairo talks, the Egyptian presidency released a statement reaffirming Egypt’s backing for Sudan. However, it firmly rejected “the creation or recognition of any parallel entities,” describing such moves as a threat to Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity. The statement stressed that there are clear “red lines” that must not be crossed.
Egypt also said it reserves “its full right to take all necessary measures and actions” permitted under international law and the Joint Defense Agreement between both countries to ensure those red lines are respected.
Sudan descended into turmoil in April 2023 after a power struggle between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into full-scale fighting in the capital, Khartoum, and other parts of the country.
Now in its third year, the conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives, according to United Nations figures, though humanitarian groups warn the actual toll is likely far higher.
The fighting has also triggered the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, forcing more than 14 million people from their homes and fueling widespread disease outbreaks and famine in several regions.
