The Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, announced on Monday that Egypt and South Sudan have agreed to intensify communications with Sudanese parties to solve their country’s crisis.
Al-Sisi made the statement during a press conference with his South Sudanese counterpart, Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is currently visiting Cairo.
The statement quoted the Egyptian President saying that he held “deep and fruitful bilateral talks” with Kiir, emphasizing that Egypt, “despite international economic challenges, will spare no effort to stand by South Sudan.”
He added, “We also discussed ways to enhance and develop joint political, military, and security coordination during this important phase in the region.”
Regarding the Sudanese crisis that erupted in April, the Egyptian President said, “We have consulted together within the framework of continuous and constructive dialogue about the Sudanese crisis and its implications on the region, especially the neighboring countries, with Egypt and South Sudan at the forefront.”
He further added, “We have agreed to intensify efforts and communications between us and the concerned parties inside Sudan to find urgent solutions to the crisis and spare the Sudanese people further destruction.”
“We agreed to call on various Sudanese parties to prioritize the higher national interests of Sudan over any individual interests or external interventions that could deepen the problem or increase the suffering of the Sudanese people, thus prolonging the crisis,” he continued.
The Egyptian President emphasized that “the roles of Egypt and South Sudan are pivotal in the Sudanese crisis and should not be disregarded in any initiatives or efforts put forth to settle the crisis.”
At the end of October, Saudi Arabia announced the resumption of talks between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in the city of Jeddah.
Since mid-April 2023, the Sudanese army under the leadership of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo have been engaged in a war that has resulted in approximately 9,000 deaths, with nearly 6 million internally and externally displaced people, according to the latest United Nations statistics.
The Sudanese army and the RSF exchange accusations regarding responsibility for starting the fighting and committing violations during the successive ceasefires in the country following the outbreak of deadly clashes between the two parties.