Cairo – Sudan’s de facto leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Wednesday started his first official visit to Egypt since last year’s military coup.
Burhan, greeted on arrival by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in a ceremony broadcast live on state television, was accompanied by the head of general intelligence services, according to Sudan’s ruling council.
Discussions centred on “strengthening economic ties, increasing trade and deepening joint cooperation on the security and military levels”, a joint statement by Sudan and Egypt said.
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Other topics included the decade-long dispute over Ethiopia’s mega-dam project on the Blue Nile, which Cairo and Khartoum fear could cut into their water share.
Sudan has been reeling from political turmoil and regular mass protests since army chief Burhan led an October 25 military coup that drew international condemnation and sparked crucial aid cuts.
At least 92 people have been killed in a crackdown on anti-coup protests since October, according to medics.
The demonstrations have deepened Sudan’s economic woes, with the local currency depreciating against the dollar as fuel and food prices skyrocket.
The coup upended a transition painstakingly negotiated between military and civilian leaders following the 2019 ouster of president Omar al-Bashir.
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Burhan’s visit follows trips to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates earlier this month.
Sudan and Egypt, along with other Arab countries, share fears of the impact of cuts in global wheat supplies following Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter / @mahmouedgamal44
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