The fighting which erupted on Saturday 15 April in Sudan between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) cast bleak shadows on the public sphere in Egypt. On Tuesday 18 April, a 24-hour ceasefire proposed by the international community was announced, but was followed with news of fierce continuing fighting and frightful, deplorable conditions for civilians.
The fighting claimed some 200 lives and injured more than 1,800 civilians. Egypt’s Ministry of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs declared, however, that Egyptians in Sudan are all safe and sound.
Egyptian soldiers
Egyptians were deeply worried about their soldiers stationed in Sudan. Rumours that they were captured by the RSF went viral, raising concerns for their safety. The paramilitary group had published videos showing Egyptian soldiers apprehended by the RSF in Merowe airbase north of Sudan, but RSF Head Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, said that the Egyptian soldiers were “safe and sound”, expressing willingness to cooperate to return them to Egypt.
The Egyptian Armed Forces issued a statement that stressed the importance of “safeguarding the safety and security of Egyptian troops who were in Sudan to conduct joint training with their Sudanese counterparts”, saying that Egypt was “closely following up on the events taking place inside Sudan”.
For his part, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi expressed readiness to mediate and restore calm between battling parties in Sudan, reiterating that the presence of Egyptian forces in Sudan was solely for training purposes and not to support any specific party. President Sisi affirmed that intensive communications were taking place to ensure the safety and security of Egyptian forces in Sudan.
The Egyptian President described the fighting in Sudan as an internal matter that “should never be interfered with so as not to inflame the situation”. He indicated that communications with the two Sudanese adversaries “are continuous” to stop the bloodshed and restore stability.
No to interference
The President’s call for non-interference echoed remarks by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry during telephone calls on Monday 17 April with his counterparts in France, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, and South Sudan.
As early as Sunday 16 April, Egypt had called on warring parties in Sudan to agree to a ceasefire and dialogue, and on foreign parties to abstain from any actions that would worsen the conflict, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry in a statement. Until Watani went to press, the ceasefire had not been fully implemented.
At the request of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Arab League convened an emergency meeting on Sunday 16 April at the level of permanent representatives, in which it called for the immediate halt of all armed clashes in Sudan to avoid further bloodshed and to protect the lives of the Sudanese people as well as Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Sudan’s representative al-Sadiq Omar Abdullah called on Arab States to mediate in order to reach a calm and peaceful settlement in Sudan.
On the same day, Mr Shoukry had a call with Sudan’s Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Karti to discuss de-escalating efforts.
Egyptians safe
Soha Gendi, Minister of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs said Egypt would never abandon its nationals and will stand by them in the face of challenges and risks wherever they are in the world.
Ms Gendi said Egyptians in Sudan would be urgently evacuated once that was necessary, in light of the unfolding situation on the ground. She said she was maintaining close contacts with a large number of them, especially students in Khartoum who were worried about sitting for their examinations and returning to Egypt for their summer holidays.
Ms Gendi stressed that she is in touch with the Foreign Ministry and the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum, as well as the leaders of the Egyptian community there, to help the students and provide them with their needs of food and medicines, especially those in the battle-stricken areas.
She called on Egyptians in Sudan to abide by the directives of the Egyptian Foreign ministry and follow up the online accounts of the Ministry of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs which post news and information about all developments in Sudan, especially measures relating to the closure of airports and borders.
In the meantime, she urged Egyptians to keep to their homes until stability is restored.
In a tweet, Egyptian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Abu-Zeid said that the missions from al-Azhar, the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation, the National Bank, other Egyptian consulates in Port Sudan and Wadi Halfa, Egyptian private sector companies, EgyptAir staff and the Middle East News Agency staff are safe.
Egypt’s national carrier, EgyptAir, had on Saturday 15 April suspended flights to and from Khartoum airport indefinitely, attributing the suspension to insecurity at Khartoum airport.
Resurrection Mass suspended
Saturday 15 April, the day the fighting erupted, was the Eve of the Feast of the Resurrection for Orthodox Copts. The Coptic Church in Sudan hastened to suspend its midnight Resurrection Mass, and called on Copts to keep to their homes.
Pope Tawadros II told Egypt’s state-owned news agency MENA on Tuesday 18 April that all members of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Sudan were safe.
Watani International
18 April 2023