Egypt’s intelligence chief, General Abbas Kamel, made a visit to Port Sudan on Friday, engaging in direct talks with Sudan’s military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
The visit underscored Egypt’s growing involvement in Sudan’s civil war, particularly as Cairo seeks to push General al-Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to participate in peace talks.
This diplomatic overture followed a controversial snub earlier in the week when Egypt rejected a Sudanese delegation that had been dispatched to Cairo.
Tensions between the two countries have heightened as the SAF continues to suffer setbacks against Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in regions like Sennar, raising concerns about prolonged conflict and the potential for a large-scale refugee crisis at Egypt’s southern border.
Egypt’s involvement in mediation efforts has increased in recent months. Cairo hosted a conference for Sudanese political parties, drawing attention to anti-war coalitions like Taqaddum.
This comes as international efforts, particularly a U.S.-led peace initiative in Geneva, Switzerland, did not result in achieving permanent ceasefire due to the absence of SAF.
During his visit, Kamel met with al-Burhan to reaffirm Egypt’s support for Sudan’s military and discuss potential resolutions to the conflict.
The Sudanese Transitional Sovereignty Council released a statement expressing gratitude toward Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.
However, the Council notably avoided mentioning the discord over the Geneva talks.
Cairo’s ceasefire push stumbles
Prior to Kamel’s visit, Egypt attempted to mediate between Sudan’s military government and U.S. officials involved in the Geneva peace talks.
Cairo had asked Sudan to send a delegation for discussions, aiming to bridge differences with the American mediation team.
However, the planned meeting fell apart after Egypt deemed the composition of the Sudanese delegation, which included military officers and a representative from Darfur’s armed movements, inappropriate.
U.S. envoy Tom Perriello noted that a meeting with Sudan’s delegation was canceled due to a breach of protocol.
The breakdown in talks left U.S. and Egyptian officials frustrated and angry, with a joint effort to convince Sudan’s SAF to partake in Geneva peace efforts remaining elusive.
Egypt’s role in Sudan’s civil war
Egypt’s relationship with Sudan’s military is longstanding. Cairo has historically sided with SAF over the RSF, whose leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, is leading a revolution to topple al-Burhan.
Egypt is also cautious about the rise of Islamist factions within Sudan, remnants of the 1989 coup.
Despite Egypt’s close ties with the SAF, recent reports suggest minimal direct military support from Cairo.
The SAF’s denial of receiving K8 fighter jets from Egypt highlights the delicate nature of Egypt’s involvement.
Sudanese forces confirmed they have long possessed these Chinese-manufactured jets and refuted claims of new deliveries from Egypt.
Nevertheless, Egypt’s approach to Sudan remains conservative, possibly reflecting its economic difficulties.
Reports of Egyptian navy ships providing humanitarian aid to SAF further illustrate the limited nature of Egypt’s assistance.
Competing influence in Sudan
As Egypt struggles to assert influence in Sudan, Iran has quietly increased its involvement. Satellite imagery shows heightened activity at Sudanese airbases, indicating external military support likely linked to Tehran.
This could be a contributing factor in the SAF’s reluctance to engage in international peace efforts like those in Geneva.
During a speech on Saturday, al-Burhan rejected any notion of attending the Geneva talks, signaling the military’s determination to continue fighting.
“We will not go to Geneva, and we have nothing to do with it. It’s not happening,” he declared.
The prospects for peace remain dim as international powers continue to struggle to bring Sudan’s warring factions to the negotiating table.
