Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi told US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is visiting Egypt at the head of a parliamentary delegation, that Cairo is making every effort to favor dialogue in Sudan.
During the meeting with the American delegation, he stressed that his country is making “maximum efforts to advance the path of peaceful political dialogue in brotherly Sudan, a cease-fire, and the protection of civilians from the humanitarian repercussions of the conflict,” according to Al-Ahram Gate, quoting the official spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, Ahmed Fahmy, on Wednesday.
Step up efforts
Al-Sisi also stressed the importance of “intensifying efforts to reach political solutions to the existing crises, in a way that preserves the unity of states and the capabilities of their peoples, and prevents a slide towards chaos and destruction.”
It is noteworthy that the US delegation included a number of chairmen and members of House committees from the Republican and Democratic parties, including the Foreign Affairs, Armed Forces, Cyber Security, Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and Appropriations Committees.
Extension and expansion of the cease-fire
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, discussed extending and expanding the ceasefire in Sudan during a phone call that took place between them on Tuesday.
The two ministers also agreed to “continue close consultations between the United States and Egypt regarding the ongoing efforts to achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities in Sudan,” according to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
It is noteworthy that the clashes have been continuing since April 15 in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, despite the successive truces that are regularly extended without commitment to them.
While the battles resulted in more than 500 dead and 5,000 wounded, according to official data that is believed to be much less than the reality.