Egypt makes a diplomatic turn in Sudan’s conflict

Egypt has played the role of a regional peace broker through a meeting with the Chairman of Sudan’s sovereignty council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.

As reported by the Moroccan-government friendly outlet, Atalayar, on May 4th, the meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi followed recent Sudanese army gains over the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Concerns over conflict spillover have long informed Egypt’s role as a mediator in the region. Recent drone attacks by the RSF, targeting vital infrastructure, such as power plants and dams, have exacerbated Egypt’s already delicate water situation. Now, as Sudan’s crisis intensifies, the militarisation of the Red Sea is a looming threat.

During the meeting, the two leaders agreed to ramp up bilateral cooperation, advance reconstruction efforts and to provide support in the most afflicted areas. Egypt has also called for a national dialogue between Sudanese forces and reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating the voluntary return of Sudanese refugees.

In the long term, they also agreed to strengthen ties in key sectors such as energy, rail transport, trade, health, agriculture, mining, and scientific and cultural exchange.

The visit reflected Cairo’s growing paranoia over a potential Russia-Sudan agreement to establish a naval base in the Red Sea. According to some analysts, this could give the U.S. an excuse to increase its footprint in the Suez Canal, which is a key economic hub for Egypt.

For his part, however, Burhan assured Sisi that Russia would not have a military presence in the region. Any cooperation would be limited to logistics and energy cooperation. From Khartoum’s perspective, stronger Egyptian-Sudanese relations could reduce dependence on Moscow for military assistance and electrical connectivity.

Moreover, securing Egypt’s backing may be a crucial step towards the international recognition Burhan needs, as the de facto ruler of the fractious country. While previously neutral on the conflict, mounting fears over Western intervention in the Red Sea, and the need to secure its southern border, have pushed Cairo to reconsider.

Atalayar, Maghrebi