Sudan’s military ruler in Egypt

August 31, 2023

(3 minutes read)

Sudan’s military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was in Egypt, his first trip abroad since the outbreak of fighting in April between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. He met with key ally President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the Egyptian leader’s offer to mediate in the ongoing conflict

Burhan’s visit came as 39 civilians were killed in shelling in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, where fighting between the two sides has intensified. During talks in Egypt, he insisted the army wanted to see an end to the fighting.

In their meeting, Sisi’s office said he had reaffirmed Egypt’s firm position in standing by Sudan and supporting its security, stability, and territorial integrity. Thousands of Sudanese have died and millions have been displaced in the war between Burhan and his former deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the Rapid Support Forces. Daglo recently released a 10-point “vision” to end the war and build “a new state”, with the plan calling for “civilian rule based on democratic norms” and “a single, professional, national military institution.

Before they turned on each other, Burhan had been backed by Daglo when he became Sudan’s de facto ruler in a 2021 coup that derailed a fragile transition to civilian rule. A transition was painstakingly negotiated between military and civilian leaders following the 2019 ouster of longtime autocrat, Omar al-Bashir. Burhan’s trip to Egypt follows multiple diplomatic efforts to end the fighting in Sudan, and a series of failed US- and Saudi-brokered ceasefires.