KHARTOUM – Sudan’s Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem Ahmed Ibrahim held a phone call on Thursday with his Ugandan counterpart Adonia Ayebare, congratulating him on his appointment as Uganda’s foreign minister and discussing ways to strengthen bilateral relations.

The two ministers reviewed relations between Sudan and Uganda and discussed expanding cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of mutual concern.

They also exchanged views on current developments in the region and stressed the importance of continued coordination and consultation, Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said.

The call comes as Sudan seeks to expand regional diplomatic engagement amid the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has reshaped Sudan’s relations with neighboring countries and increased pressure on regional governments hosting people fleeing the conflict.

Relations between Sudan and Uganda have long alternated between cooperation and tension, shaped largely by civil wars in Sudan and South Sudan and by wider competition in East and Central Africa. In the 1990s, ties between Khartoum and Kampala deteriorated sharply amid mutual accusations of supporting rebel movements before the two countries agreed in April 2002 to restore full diplomatic relations, exchange ambassadors and establish a joint ministerial committee.

Since the outbreak of Sudan’s war in April 2023, Uganda has become one of the countries receiving people fleeing the conflict. UNHCR data indicate that Uganda was hosting more than 92,000 Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers by the end of 2025, with numbers expected to rise in 2026.

The relationship has gained added importance because of cross-border movement, trade, regional security and the two countries’ links to developments in South Sudan and the wider East African region.

The phone call with Uganda’s new foreign minister comes as Khartoum works to reinforce regional contacts while security coordination, the war in Sudan and humanitarian issues remain central to its diplomatic agenda.