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☆ Fighting Erupts in Sudan’s Capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Kenya — Gunshots and explosions rang out on Saturday morning in several parts of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, as residents reported clashes between rival factions of the armed forces. The military, which seized power in a coup 18 months ago, had agreed to hand that power to a civilian-led government this month. Intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent the tensions from escalating into violence appeared to collapse on Saturday. A resident living near a Rapid Support Forces camp in the Soba district said it was under attack from regular army forces. Videos circulating on social media showed soldiers and armored vehicles moving through the deserted streets of residential areas against a backdrop of intensive gunfire.

Satellite images showing a smoke plume in Khartoum Airport and Soba Camp. Khartoum Airport Area of Military Headquarters Smoke Khartoum Airport Soba military camp University Sudan Sports City Smoke Khartoum Airport Area of Military Headquarters Smoke Khartoum Airport Soba military camp University Sudan Sports City Smoke Khartoum Airport Soba military camp University Area of Military Headquarters Sudan Sports City Smoke Smoke Khartoum Airport Source: Satellite images by Planet Labs, captured on Saturday morning The New York TimesDeadly clashes broke out in Sudan’s capital on Saturday when rising tensions between rival factions of the military turned violent. By Saturday evening, fighting had spread beyond the capital, Khartoum, and it was unclear who was in control of the country. Here’s what videos show about the fighting and what we know about the locations of the violence. Elsewhere in SudanBy Saturday evening, fighting had spread far beyond Khartoum.

☆ Sudan's RSF says it's ready to cooperate over Egyptian troops
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin AbdallahCAIRO, April 15 (Reuters) - The head of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said on Saturday that his forces were ready to cooperate with Egypt to ease the return of Egyptian troops who had handed themselves over to the group in the northern Sudanese town of Merowe. Two Egyptian security sources said Egyptian officials were able to make contact with the leader of the Egyptian unit to confirm they were safe. The video showed a number of men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking to members of the RSF, Sudan's main paramilitary group, in an Egyptian Arabic dialect. A mobilisation of RSF forces towards Merowe's military airport on Wednesday prompted an army statement a day later that described recent RSF moves as illegal, bringing long-bubbling disagreements to the surface. It strongly supports Sudan's army and has recently promoted negotiations with pro-army political parties, in parallel to a plan for a transition towards elections backed by Hemedti.

The Sudanese air force is conducting operations against the RSF, the army said. Footage from broadcasters showed a military aircraft in the sky above Khartoum, but Reuters could not independently confirm the material. A Reuters journalist saw cannon and armoured vehicles deployed in streets, and heard heavy weapons fire near the headquarters of both the army and RSF. The RSF, which analysts say is 100,000 strong, said its forces were attacked first by the army. Civilian political parties that had signed an initial power-sharing deal with the army and the RSF called on them to cease hostilities.

☆ Sudan's army says paramilitary mobilisation risks confrontation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz Nafisa Eltahir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"These movements and deployments happened without the agreement of the leadership of the armed forces or even coordination with it," the army spokesman said. Deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference at Rapid Support Forces head quarter in Khartoum, Sudan February 19, 2023. Witnesses told Reuters that they saw a convoy of RSF vehicles including armoured trucks enter Khartoum on Thursday. Political figures issued statements on Thursday about attempts to mediate between the RSF and army high command. Hemedti, who has amassed considerable wealth and expanded domestic and foreign relations, has said repeatedly in speeches that he wants no confrontation with the army.

☆ Factbox: Who are Sudan's Rapid Support Forces?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KHARTOUM, April 13 (Reuters) - Here are some facts about Sudan's main paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, which said on Saturday it had taken control of the presidential palace and the country's international airport in an apparent coup attempt. International Criminal Court prosecutors accused government officials and janjaweed commanders of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. [1/2] Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the Rapid Support Forces, greets his supporters as he arrives at a meeting in Aprag, Sudan, June 22, 2019. Rights groups have also accused RSF soldiers of tribal violence. * The Sudanese army as well as pro-democracy groups have demanded the RSF's integration into the regular armed forces.

☆ Egyptian minister to visit Turkey as ties improve - Ankara
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANKARA, April 10 (Reuters) - Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is likely to visit Turkey again this week, the government in Ankara said on Monday, adding that progress could be made towards reinstatement of envoys after relations ended a decade ago. Cavusoglu visited Cairo last month, a decade after diplomatic links were cut by the overthrow of Egypt's then president and Ankara's ally Mohamed Mursi. Shoukry also visited Turkey two weeks ago to show solidarity after the massive earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria. Consultations between senior foreign ministry officials in Ankara and Cairo began in 2021 as Turkey sought better ties with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Saudi Arabia. But normalisation between Ankara and Cairo accelerated after Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan shook hands in Doha at the World Cup.

☆ Sudan's years of political strife
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

April 6, 2019 - Hundreds of thousands of protesters begin a sit-in outside army headquarters in Khartoum. Five days later the army overthrows and detains autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir, ending his three-decade rule. Aug. 17, 2019 - Civilian groups that backed the uprising sign a deal to share power with the military during a transitional period leading to elections. June 16, 2022 - The U.N. World Food Programme says more than a third of Sudan's population is facing acute food insecurity due to factors including economic and political crises, climate shocks and conflict. Dec. 5, 2022 - Civilian groups sidelined by the coup sign an initial deal with the military to start a new, two-year political transition and appoint a civilian government.

☆ Factbox: The struggle for power in Sudan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The following outlines the struggle for power in Sudan in recent years:WHO HAS BEEN IN CHARGE IN SUDAN? Sudan began its halting transition towards democracy after military generals ousted long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir amid a popular uprising in April 2019. Under an August 2019 agreement, the military agreed to share power with civilians ahead of elections. That arrangement was abruptly halted by the 2021 coup, which triggered a new campaign of mass pro-democracy rallies across Sudan. The military has been a dominant force in Sudan since independence in 1956, staging coups, fighting internal wars, and amassing economic holdings.

☆ Egypt's Sisi visits Saudi Arabia amid financial pressure, regional realignment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

RIYADH, April 2 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Saudi state news agency SPA said, as Cairo seeks financial inflows to ease pressure on its currency and bolster a faltering economy. The trip also comes amid a major diplomatic realignment in the region, with moves by Saudi Arabia and Egypt to ease tensions with Syria, Iran and Turkey. Other Saudi and Egyptian officials, including Saudi national security adviser Musaad bin Mohammed al-Aiban and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, attended the meeting, it added. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have repeatedly come to Egypt's help since Sisi led the ouster of Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood a decade ago. When Egypt's financial difficulties were exposed and exacerbated by the fallout from the war in Ukraine last year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar made deposits in Egypt's central bank and pledged major new investments.

☆ Egypt's Sisi heads to Saudi Arabia amid financial pressure, regional realignment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, April 2 (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is travelling to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, according to three diplomatic sources, as Cairo continues to seek financial inflows to ease pressure on its currency and bolster a faltering economy. The trip also comes amid a major diplomatic realignment in the region, with moves by Saudi Arabia and Egypt to ease tensions with Syria, Iran and Turkey. There was no immediate official comment from Egypt or Saudi Arabia on the visit. Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have repeatedly come to Egypt's help since Sisi led the ouster of Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood a decade ago. When Egypt's financial difficulties were exposed and exacerbated by the fallout from the war in Ukraine last year, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar made deposits in Egypt's central bank and pledged major new investments.

☆ Egypt, Syria in Advanced Talks to Restore Diplomatic Relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Summer Said | Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, left, and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met in Cairo on Saturday. Egypt and Syria are in advanced talks to restore full diplomatic relations more than a decade after ties broke down, people familiar with the matter say, as Arab states warm up to Damascus in fast-evolving developments that are reshaping the Middle East’s geopolitics. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could meet soon after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends in late April, the people said. The date and location for a possible summit between the two leaders haven’t been completed, they added.

☆ Analysis: Sudan paramilitary leader jostles for role ahead of civilian handover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo commands tens of thousands of fighters in the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and has amassed considerable mineral wealth. He is also deputy leader of Sudan's ruling council, which took power in a coup more than a year ago. Hemedti and other military men are unlikely to be able to stand for election in the short term. The main signatories to the outline agreement are Burhan's military and Hemedti's RSF on one side and the civilian Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) coalition on the other. Any final transition agreement would likely bar Hemedti and Burhan from standing in the first post-deal elections, one international diplomat said.

☆ Egypt's Sisi discusses nuclear plant, grains trade with Russian officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, March 19, (Reuters) - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held talks with high-ranking Russian officials on Sunday to discuss a Russian-built nuclear plant under construction on Egypt's north coast as well as grains supply and food security, Egypt's presidency said. The meeting with officials including Russia's trade minister and a special envoy of President Vladimir Putin also addressed the establishment of a Russian industrial zone inside the Suez Canal's Economic Zone, among other investments, it added. Construction by Russia's state-owned energy corporation Rosatom of Egypt's first nuclear plant at El Dabaa began in July of last year, and is expected to take until at least 2030. In the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Egypt has been trying to balance long-standing ties with both Russia and Western powers. Reporting by Mohamed Hendawy Writing by Farah Saafan Editing by Aidan Lewis and Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

At a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said talks with Turkey on the possibility of restoring ties to ambassadorial level would happen at "the appropriate time". Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey would upgrade its diplomatic relations with Egypt to ambassador level "as soon as possible". "There is a political will and directives from the presidents of both countries when they met in Doha ... to launch the path towards a full normalisation of relations," Shoukry said. Consultations between senior foreign ministry officials in Ankara and Cairo began in 2021, amid a push by Turkey to ease tensions with Egypt, the UAE, Israel and Saudi Arabia. As part of that tentative reconciliation, Ankara asked Egyptian opposition TV channels operating in Turkey to moderate their criticism of Egypt.

☆ Top Egyptian and Turkish diplomats hold talks in Cairo amid improving ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meets with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, Egypt March 18, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El GhanyCAIRO, March 18 (Reuters) - Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu held talks with his Egyptian counterpart in Cairo on Saturday, in the first such visit after a decade of ruptured ties. Cavusoglu and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry were expected to discuss a range of bilateral and international issues in a step towards restoring normal relations, according to statements from the two sides. As part of that tentative reconciliation, Ankara asked Egyptian opposition TV channels operating in Turkey to moderate their criticism of Egypt. Last month, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Turkey in a show of solidarity after the massive earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

Egypt desperately needs the proceeds from privatisation after a series of economic shocks. STAKE SALE DRIVEEgypt set a target in 2022 of raising $10 billion annually over four years through private investment in state assets. Egypt has established its own sovereign fund to bring in private investors to develop state assets, but the move appears designed to attract capital without relinquishing control, said Sayigh. "They want others to help the state with its financial burden, but it's still the state that determines priorities and investments," he said. MILITARY TAX BREAKSFuture asset sales will be complicated by an expansion under Sisi of the military's often opaque economic role, analysts say.

☆ U.S. defense secretary aims to reassure Mideast allies, deliver tough message
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The United States has about 30,000 troops in the region and is seen as pivotal in helping counter Iranian influence. Austin is poised to send a clear message on the need for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to respect human rights, underscoring Washington's concern on the issue. "I fully expect him to bring up human rights, respect for fundamental freedoms," the U.S. defense official said. The United States has withheld small amounts of military aid to Cairo, citing a failure to meet human rights conditions. The United States has committed more than $32 billion in weapons to Ukraine including sophisticated air defense systems and tanks.

☆ How deep are Egypt's economic troubles?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

CAIRO, March 3 (Reuters) - Egypt's economy has come under severe pressure over the past year, with the Egyptian pound tumbling, foreign currency drying up, and inflation soaring. As many as 60% of Egypt's 104 million citizens are estimated to be below, or close to the poverty line. IS EGYPT'S DEBT SUSTAINABLE? Egypt's debt burden has been climbing, though analysts differ over how much of a risk this presents. Substantial principle and interest payments on foreign debt contribute to a large external financing gap - the difference between supply of and demand for foreign currency financing.

Summary Egyptian FM says 'goal of visit primarily humanitarian'And to 'pass on our solidarity' from people of EgyptArab League suspended Syria in 2011DAMASCUS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday in the first visits to Syria and Turkey by a top Egyptian diplomat in a decade. "The goal of the visit is primarily humanitarian, and to pass on our solidarity – from the leadership, the government and the people of Egypt to the people of Syria," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters in Damascus. "When the foreign minister of Egypt comes to Damascus, he comes to his home, his people, and his country," Mekdad said. Shoukry also visited Turkey, pointing to another shift in Egypt's foreign ties. "Foreign minister offers condolences for the victims of earthquake, affirms solidarity of Egyptian leadership, government and people with Turkey, and asserting continuity of aid for supporting Turkey and its brotherly people," Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesperson for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, said.

☆ Egypt's foreign minister to visit Syria, Turkey on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 26 (Reuters) - Egypt's Sameh Shoukry will travel to Damascus on Monday in the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry. Shoukry will visit Turkey and Syria - both hit hard by a deadly earthquake on Feb. 6 - to "convey a message of solidarity from Egypt with the two countries" according to the foreign ministry statement. Turkey's foreign ministry confirmed the visit, saying Shoukry will hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu and visit the southern province of Adana and the port of Mersin, where an Egyptian aid ship is set to arrive. Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi spoke with Assad by phone for the first time on Feb. 7 and on Sunday, a delegation of top parliamentarians from around the region - including Egypt's parliament speaker - met Assad in Damascus. Relations began thawing in 2021, part of a push by Turkey to ease tensions with several regional powers.

☆ Syria's Assad meets senior Arab lawmakers in Damascus
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Syrian parliament members and Parliamentary Speaker Hammouda Sabbagh meet with a delegation from the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union in Damascus, Syria February 26, 2023. They met with Syrian parliamentarians and with Assad, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in 2011 and many Arab countries pulled their envoys out of Damascus. Assad then traveled to Oman on Feb. 20 - the first time he left Syria since the quake. Assad's 2022 visit to the UAE was his first trip to an Arab state since the 2011 outbreak of war.

Shunned by the West, Assad has been basking in an outpouring of support from Arab states that have normalised ties with him in recent years, notably the United Arab Emirates (UAE). On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia sent its first reported plane of aid to Assad-controlled Aleppo, a notable gesture from a Gulf state still at odds with Syria's president. 'BREAK THE SIEGE'The UAE has pledged $50 million in aid to Syria, without saying in which part of Syria it will be spent. Once a backer of Assad's foes, the UAE has been pressing other Arab states to re-engage with Damascus, according to two Gulf sources, despite opposition from its strategic ally the United States. Tunisia, which cut off ties with Syria a decade ago, has said it will strengthen relations with Damascus since the quake.

☆ Egypt's Sisi seeks to tamp down media clash with Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Hatem Maher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia along with other energy-rich Gulf states has long provided crucial funding to Egypt, upping support after Sisi took power nearly a decade ago, and as an acute financial crisis took hold last year. "The mean, the scoundrels and the nouveau-riche have no right to insult their masters," he wrote, drawing on derogatory stereotypes and claims of historical superiority. Another well-known Saudi commentator, Ali Shihabi, later tweeted: "Egypt is a black hole that will never close unless the govt is able to make material structural reforms." Tawfik's article has been removed from Al Gomhuria's website and replaced by an editorial lauding Egyptian-Saudi relations as "historic and eternal". Additional reporting by Nadine Awadalla and Aziz El Yaakoubi, Writing by Aidan LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Israel and Sudan Agree to Revive Peace Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Dov Lieber | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met the president of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Thursday. TEL AVIV—Israel and Sudan agreed to sign a peace agreement later this year, after earlier attempts by the African nation to normalize relations with Israel failed, Israel’s foreign minister said Thursday. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen visited the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Thursday, where he met with the president of the Transitional Sovereign Council, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and other senior Sudanese officials, his office said in a statement. With U.S. mediation, the two sides agreed to the terms of a peace deal and planned to hold a signing ceremony in Washington in a few month’s time, after Sudan establishes a civilian government, the Israeli statement said.

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