Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, arrived in Egypt on Tuesday for his first trip abroad since the outbreak of war in April.
The visit comes amid escalating violence in Sudan, which has killed hundreds of civilians in the battle-scarred region of Darfur.
Burhan was greeted by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a key ally of the Sudanese military, at El Alamein airport. The two leaders are expected to discuss developments in war-ravaged Sudan and bilateral ties
On Monday, Burhan was in Port Sudan, where he made a fiery address to troops, vowing to fight the RSF he branded mercenaries to “end the rebellion.”
“We are mobilising everywhere to defeat this rebellion, defeat this treason, by these mercenaries who come from all over the world,” Burhan told cheering troops.
“There is no time for discussion now. We are concentrating all our efforts on the war, to put an end to the rebellion,” he said.
The war between Burhan and his former deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has raged since April 15. It has spread from Khartoum and the western region of Darfur to Kordofan and Jazira state, killing thousands and forcing millions to flee their homes.
For months, the RSF had besieged Burhan inside military headquarters in Khartoum, but last week, the army chief made his first public foray outside the compound to review troops in parts of the country.
Burhan’s visit to Egypt is seen as a sign that he is seeking support from his ally in the face of the escalating civil war. It remains to be seen whether Sisi will provide the support that Burhan is seeking,
