Sudan army chief Burhan in Egypt in first overseas trip since conflict

Sudan’s army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan arrived in Egypt today to meet with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, the first time the head of the ruling Sovereign Council has left the country since its descent into conflict in mid-April.

Burhan was received by Al-Sisi at the airport of the coastal town of El-Alamein and was accompanied by intelligence chief Ahmad Ibrahim Muffadal and interim Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sadeq.

According to a military statement, the officials will discuss the latest developments in Sudan and bilateral relations between Khartoum and Cairo.

Last week Al-Burhan made his first public appearance outside his military headquarters in the capital, having been besieged for months by the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

In an address to his troops at Port Sudan yesterday, Al-Burhan said: “We are mobilising everywhere to defeat this rebellion, defeat this treason, by these mercenaries who come from all over the world.”

“There is no time for discussion now. We are concentrating all our efforts on the war, to put an end to the rebellion,” he added.

His comments came a day after Daglo announced a 10-point “vision” to end the war and build “a new state”.

The conflict which has spread from Khartoum and the western region of Darfur to Kordofan and Jazira state has claimed the lives of thousands while millions have been internally displaced.

In July, Egypt hosted a summit attended by African leaders to bring about a solution to the crisis and has offered to mediate between the warring factions.

READ: Sudan army rules out talks with rival RSF