Sudan’s army chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, sent a message to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Tuesday.
Sudanese diplomat Dafallah Haj Ali delivered the message during a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry in Cairo.
According to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement, al-Burhan’s letter addressed happenings in neighboring Sudan, where the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had clashed.
The Sudanese envoy, according to the statement, expressed gratitude to the Egyptian government and people for their kind reception and hospitality to Sudanese individuals fleeing the turmoil.
To minimize bloodshed, Shoukry underlined Egypt’s request for an immediate cease-fire between all sides in Sudan.
He also stressed the significance of observing the cease-fire “to allow for humanitarian relief operations and to begin a serious dialogue aimed at resolving the existing differences.”
The Sudanese envoy’s trip to Egypt followed a similar trip to Saudi Arabia.
According to Sudan’s Health Ministry, at least 528 people have been killed and over 4,500 have been injured in conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF since April 15.
The army and the paramilitary force had been at odds in recent months over the RSF’s incorporation into the armed forces, which was a crucial requirement of Sudan’s transition agreement with political groups.
Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and established a state of emergency, a move that political forces have labeled as a “coup.”
Sudan’s transitional period, which began in August 2019 following President Omar al-Bashir’s removal, is set to culminate with elections in early 2024.