Al-Sisi meets Burhan as Sudanese protest leaders announce 2-day strike

Fatma Lotfi
3 Min Read

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has received the head of the Sudanese Military Transitional Council, General Abdul Fattah Burhan, in Cairo to address recent updates in Sudan, Egypt’s presidency declared in a Saturday statement.

Burhan’s visit to Egypt is his first foreign trip since he seized power last month after the Sudanese military toppled former President Omar Al-Bashir, following months of large-scale protests.

In a meeting held late Saturday, Al-Sisi voiced support to the Sudanese people’s free will, and their choices to draft the future of their country. 

Furthermore, Al-Sisi also asserted his country’s keenness in supporting Sudan with all means to overcome this period, in line with the expectations of the Sudanese people and without foreign intervention, the statement added.

Egyptian Foreign Minister, Sameh Shoukry, Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and Minister of Defence General Mohamed Zaki, and Director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service, Abbas Kamel, also attended the meeting.

For Burhan, he praised Egypt’s readiness to support the Sudanese people as well as their efforts to back their choices to maintain stability and security in the country, the statement continued.

Burhan’s visit to Cairo came a day after Sudanese protest groups called for a two-day strike starting from Tuesday, as negotiations between the groups and the Sudanese generals got suspended.

In a statement on social media, the Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces announced that protesters will be on a strike on Tuesday and Wednesday, 28-29 May to achieve the goals and the demands of the Sudanese revolution.

The alliance said that strike is a peaceful resistance which aims to achieve the revolution and hand over the power to a civil-led government.

Egypt, which previously voiced support to the Sudanese Military Transitional Council, hosted a summit last month on Sudan and Libya with the participation of regional partners. African nations at that time called on the African Union’s Peace and Security Council to extend the period granted for the ruling Military Council to hand the power in Sudan to a civilian government for up to three months.

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A journalist in DNE's politics section with more than six years of experience in print and digital journalism, focusing on local political issues, terrorism and human rights. She also writes features on women issues and culture.