Egypt's Sisi, Sudan’s Burhan discuss efforts to end war in Sudan

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi held talks on Sunday with Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council ChairmanAbdel Fattah al Burhanto discuss the Sudanese developments and efforts to end the ongoing conflict in the country.The meeting, held in the northern Egyptian city of El-Alamein, also addressed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s support for the Sudanese people and its commitment to preserving Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the unity of its national institutions.He stressed that Egypt would continue its efforts at the regional and international levels to advance a political solution, help end the war and alleviate the Sudanese people’s humanitarian suffering.“These efforts aim to enable Sudan to restore security and stability and move toward reconstruction and development,” the presidency said.Burhan, for his part, expressed appreciation for Egypt’s support, praising its political and humanitarian assistance and its hosting of large numbers of Sudanese who fled the war, the statement said.He stressed the importance of “not equating Sudan’s legitimate state institutions with rebel militias or parallel entities,” according to the Egyptian statement.The two leaders also discussed expanding bilateral cooperation, with Sisi affirming Egypt’s commitment to supporting Sudan across various sectors and strengthening ties to serve both countries’ interests.Sunday’s meeting took place on the sidelines of the African Union’s eighth midyear coordination meeting in New Alamein.Burhan arrived in the city at Sisi’s invitation to participate in a 4-way summit with the leaders of Egypt, Eritrea and Somalia to discuss regional issues of common concern and strengthen consultation and coordination in support of peace, stability, development and regional integration, according to the presidency.The gathering comes amid escalating regional diplomatic tensions involving Ethiopia, Eritrea and Egypt, including a rupture in Ethiopian-Eritrean relations and reciprocal diplomatic expulsions between Cairo and Addis Ababa.