Egypt has issued a stern warning regarding the ongoing conflict in neighboring Sudan, stating it will not “hesitate to take the necessary measures” to preserve the country’s unity and territorial integrity as the war there nears its fourth year.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty delivered the message on Wednesday during a press conference in Cairo alongside the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra.
“We will not stand idly by,” Abdelatty stated, emphasizing that Cairo “will not accept and will not allow under any circumstances the collapse of Sudan, the collapse of Sudanese national institutions or harming the unity of Sudan.”
He defined these points as “red lines,” adding that “a violation of Sudan’s national security is a violation of Egypt’s national security.”
Egypt, which shares a southern border with Sudan, is a key ally of the Sudanese army in its fight against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since the conflict began in April 2023.
The Foreign Minister’s comments reinforce a position recently articulated by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. During a meeting last month with Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Sisi also described any threat to Sudanese state institutions as a “red line for Egypt.”
Following that meeting, a statement from the president’s office affirmed Cairo’s “full right to take all necessary measures under international law,” which could include the activation of a joint defense agreement between the two nations.
Egypt and Sudan share a history of close military cooperation, formalized by a 1976 defense pact and further solidified by a 2021 agreement covering training, border security, and joint counter-terrorism efforts.
