Al Burhan in Cairo: The Visit’s Significance, Consequences and Messages it Reflects

Cairo – Sudanhorizon – Sabah Moussa
The President of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Lt. General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, on Monday paid a visit to Cairo, amid a number of local and regional challenges that require coordination and exchange of visits between leaders of the two countries to stave off any reverse storms that may disturb the security and stability of the region.

Bilateral Relations
President El-Sisi received General Al-Burhan at Cairo Airport, and the two sides held a joint session of talks at the Ittihadiya Palace, focusing on prospects for joint cooperation between the two countries in all fields, and ways to strengthen and upgrade the existing bilateral relations, in order to achieve the common interests of the two countries and peoples.

Egypt’s Positions
For his part, Lit General Al-Burhan expressed his appreciation for the level of Sudanese-Egyptian relations, which he described as strategic, indicating that they are well-established with special historical bonds, stressing his keenness to strengthen and develop them to serve the interests of the two peoples, and to achieve joint strategic cooperation between the two countries,
Al Burhan praised Egypt’s stands and wise leadership, that supports Sudan in regional and international forums, its support for Sudanese state institutions and standing on the side of the Sudanese people, and its keenness on the safety, security, stability and sovereignty of Sudan.
He pointed out to the significant role played by the Egyptian leadership towards the issues of the region.

Supporting Reconstruction
For his part, President Sisi renewed Egypt’s supportive and firm position towards the questions relative to the Sudan, stressing his country’s stand with the Sudanese state institutions, and its constant endeavor to achieve security, stability and territorial integrity of Sudan, and support the reconstruction and construction process in Sudan.
He praised the level of joint cooperation between the two countries, stressing his keenness to consolidate and strengthen brotherly ties and support and strengthen bilateral cooperation relations, in order to achieve the aspirations of the two peoples.
He expressed Egypt’s great pride in its strong strategic relations with Sudan in all official and popular levels.

Joint Projects
The talks dealt with ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, and the effective Egyptian contribution to the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts of the war in the Sudan, in addition to continuing joint projects in a number of vital fields such as electrical interconnection, railways, trade, cultural and scientific exchange, and cooperation in the fields of health, agriculture, industry, mining, and other fields, in order to achieve the desired integration goal between the two countries.
They also stressed the need for optimizing the use of the huge potential of the two countries and their peoples.
Development Fields
The talks also touched on the recent field developments in Sudan, and the progress made by the Sudanese Armed Forces in regaining control of the capital, Khartoum, where the two sides agreed on the need to intensify efforts to provide the necessary support and assistance to the Sudanese residing in war zones.
the two sides also discussed the exchange of views on the current regional situation, especially in the Nile River Basin and the Horn of Africa, where the visions of the two countries converged in light of the close link to the national security of both countries, and it was agreed to continue coordination. Joint action to maintain water security for the two countries.

The Need for Consultation
The visit comes at a delicate and pivotal time that Sudan is going through, and at the invitation of President Sisi, which confirms the strength of the relationship between the two countries, the renewal of Egypt’s firm positions towards Sudan, and the high coordination between them in regional and international issues of common interest, in addition to the symbolism of President Sisi’s reception of General Al-Burhan at the airport, confirming Egypt’s practical recognition of the legitimate government in the Sudan
This message also applies to the Rapid Support Militia and its supporters, that Egypt could not recognize any government in Sudan except the legitimate government in Port Sudan.
The visit also comes after the great victories of the Sudanese army on the ground, and the decline of the militia in simple places in Darfur, but it still practices a scorched earth policy, in retaliation for the great defeats it suffered in the field, and its destruction of civilian facilities and infrastructure in the country, and the beating and killing of unarmed citizens in a brutal manner, which calls for the need to consult with Egypt and to update it on the latest developments in Sudan.
Thus shows what were the implications of Al -Burhan’s visit to Cairo at this time, what messages it sends, and the outcome of the high coordination between the two countries?

The Challenges Facing Sudanese Communities in Egypt

A Sudanese diplomatic source revealed that the talks between Presidents Sisi and Burhan touched on the challenges facing Sudanese community in Egypt in education, residency and visas. The source, who preferred not to be identified, told (Sudanhorizon) that the Sudanese side raised these problems before the Egyptian side, adding that there is great cooperation from the Egyptian side in these files.
He pointed out to directives issued by the Egyptian president Sisi to overcome any obstacles facing the Sudanese in Egypt, as well as the continuation of Egyptian care for the Sudanese presence in it, and he said that there are also great facilities from the Egyptian side for Sudanese returning from Egypt, not to assign them any fines for the expiration of residency or from entering Egypt through smuggling.
Important timing
For his part, Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister and former official of the Sudan and South Sudan Department at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Hossam Issa, said that Burhan’s visit to Cairo comes at an important timing, as it follows the Sudanese army’s achievements of great victories on the battlefield.
Issa told “Sudanhorizon” that the Sudanese army, after liberating the cities of central and eastern Sudan, began heading to Darfur, after the recent developments there where the militias started attacking on displacement camps in Zamzam, Abu Shouk and others, in addition to their attacks against vital facilities, infrastructure and power stations.|

Egyptian Support for the Sudan

He stressing stressed that Egypt is the first supporter of the Sudanese government and the armed forces. He said that he believed the visit is important as it would provide a forum discussing the developments in Sudan with the Egyptian side, which strongly supports the security and stability of Sudan.
Egypt’s former ambassador in Khartoum has stressed that there are Egyptian projects in Sudan that can be resumed after the war, and after the danger of the militia has disappeared, and said that these projects include the project to redevelop the port of Wadi Halfa, the electrical interconnection, and increase it from 70 megawatts to 300 megawatts, as well as the industrial city, and a number of agricultural projects, in addition to the reconstruction of infrastructure destroyed by the war, the rehabilitating of the Shambat Bridge in Khartoum and other projects.
He further stressed the full Egyptian support for Sudan in this critical period, and said that Egypt supports Sudan politically, developmentally, diplomatically and in international forums.

Practical message
Issa pointed out that the importance of the visit comes from the standpoint of Egyptian support. It was also meant to review the beginning of the reconstruction phase in Sudan, noting that receiving proof at this time and this method, confirms Egypt’s position on legitimacy in Sudan, and said that it is an Egyptian message in a practical way that Egypt will not recognize any other government in Sudan, and that it only recognizes the Sovereign Council and the government in Port Sudan, pointing to the congruence of visions between the two countries in the water file, and the issues of the Horn of Africa, and said that Egypt and Sudan have a common vision and high coordination in
He said that Egypt and Sudan have a common vision and high coordination in these two files, as they are common and important files of national security concern.

Title of the visit
Sudanese journalist and political analyst Dr. Khaled Al-Tijani gave the visit two titles for Al-Burhan’s visit to Cairo. Al-Tijani told (Sudanhorizon) that the first title is the culmination of the decisive Egyptian position in standing by Sudan and preserving its institutions. He argued that it is a position in which Egypt excelled and played a major role in stabilizing and preserving the legitimacy of the Sudanese state, and continued that it was a strategic position that expresses the Egyptian awareness of the extent of the organic link between the national and strategic security of the two countries.
He pointed out that the Egyptian position proved that it is not related to a specific regime, but rather based on a strategic vision of the relationship between the two countries.
Future Agenda
Tijani believed that the second title of the visit is that this strong Egyptian stand helped the steadfastness of the Sudanese state and strengthen its capabilities politically and diplomatically, and restore the Sudanese army to the initiative in the war and take great steps in the process of military resolution.
He said that Sisi’s invitation for Al Burhan addresses a future agenda, and that this is confirmation that the Sudanese government has recovered its health, and is arranging its situation now, taking into account the challenges imposed by the war.
He added that it requires Sudan to now revisit its concept of national security, after it found itself alone in this war, with the exception of Egypt, which supported it at all levels, stressing the need to emphasize that the relationship with Egypt is special and that it has vital indicators, pointing to a number of attempts to rapprochement between the two countries were influenced by the nature of the political systems in Sudan. He said that it was now the time to program these relations into practice.
The greatest responsibility
Tijani stressed that Egypt has worked the following in this aspect, and that Sudan must build on this partnership, and on the link between national security and the two countries, adding that there must be a real partnership at all levels and at higher levels.
He further added that the visit has laid the building blocks to address a future agenda, and saw the need to arrange Sudanese positions according to the real interests of reconstruction and economic partnerships, and said that the Sudanese side bears the greatest responsibility in order to strengthen these relations in the coming period.
He added that Egypt has great capabilities that can help Sudan with new energies and real economic integration that is in the interest of the peoples of the two countries.

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