President: Egypt will help enhance security in South Sudan

Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday expressed his country’s readiness to expend all efforts to enhance security and stability in South Sudan.

The Egyptian president’s remarks were made during a meeting with South Sudan Minister of Presidential Affairs, the President special envoy, Mike Deng in Cairo attended by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri and Acting director of General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel.

South Sudan Vice President, Taban Deng Gai has earlier hoped that Egypt would support completing the course of national dialogue in Juba during his meeting with Shoukri on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

President, al-Sisi also received a message from his South Sudanese counterpart in which he “stressed on the distinguished relations between the two countries and South Sudan keenness to develop them and push them forward at all levels” according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

Read: Egypt and Sudan conclude strategic meeting in Cairo

Meanwhile, al-Sisi stressed on the importance of “strengthening bilateral cooperation, providing assistance and continuing efforts to contribute to the security and stability in South Sudan”.

Mike Deng praised Egypt role and keenness to promote stability in South Sudan, in light of the historical relations between the two countries.

South Sudan has been in the throes of civil war  since 2013 between government forces and rebels that led to killing 10,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands more.

A peace agreement signed by the parties to the conflict in 2015 was not able to end the conflict while countries in the region have been trying to revive it since last year.