CAIRO -The foreign ministers of Egypt and Sudan, Badr Abdelatty and Mohieddin Salem, met with U.S. Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos to discuss efforts to end the war in Sudan, reduce escalation and create conditions for a sustainable political settlement.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said the trilateral meeting focused on building on existing efforts to restore security and stability and reach a settlement that meets the aspirations of the Sudanese people while protecting the country’s national interests.
Abdelatty stressed the need to preserve Sudan’s unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity, state resources and national institutions, calling for intensified regional and international efforts to end the conflict through dialogue and negotiation.
Sudan’s war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023 after tensions over the political transition and plans to integrate the paramilitary force into the army. The conflict has displaced millions of people and severely damaged health services and infrastructure.
The meeting came amid broader Egyptian-U.S. contacts over the Sudan crisis. In a separate statement, the Egyptian presidency said President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi discussed Sudan with CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
During those talks, El-Sisi said Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity were principles that could not be compromised, while pointing to Cairo’s engagement in regional and international efforts to stop the war, ease humanitarian suffering and support a political settlement.
Boulos has also recently said he discussed Sudan’s massive internal and cross-border displacement with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, along with what he described as the importance of extending the arms embargo across the entire country to help reduce civilian suffering and casualties.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement on the trilateral meeting did not mention the arms embargo issue and did not provide detailed positions from the Sudanese foreign minister or the U.S. adviser, focusing instead on the topics discussed and Cairo’s position.
The diplomatic contacts also follow recent Egyptian-Saudi talks in which Cairo and Riyadh reaffirmed support for Sudan’s security and stability and the preservation of its national institutions.
According to the Egyptian presidency, the two sides said any threat to Sudan’s unity and territorial integrity would pose a risk to regional security.
The trilateral meeting did not produce an announced ceasefire agreement or timetable for negotiations, but placed de-escalation and preparations for a political settlement at the center of the discussions.
