KHARTOUM, Sudan
The first Egyptian Armed
Forces personnel apprehended in Sudan have returned to Cairo on board the
Egyptian Air Force plane.
The soldiers were apprehended
on Saturday at Merowe Airport in northern Sudan.
According to the Sudanese
Armed Forces on Wednesday, the 177 Egyptian soldiers captured by Sudanese
paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) were evacuated on four Egyptian military
transport planes.
On Monday, Egypt’s President
Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi chaired a meeting of the Supreme Council of the
Egyptian Armed Forces. The meeting discussed the situation of the Egyptian
troops apprehended in Sudan.
The president stated that
Egyptian troops are present in Sudan for training purposes only and not to
support any party. He stressed that the situation in Sudan is an internal
matter and Egypt’s position is consistent in non-interfering in countries'
internal affairs.
“Our troops there are safe,
and we have confirmed their wellbeing,” Al-Sisi indicated.
He added that Egypt is in
constant communication with the warring parties in Sudan in a bid to reach a
solution and de-escalate the situation.
On Saturday, Egyptian Armed
Forces said that it closely follows the situation in Sudan in the framework of
the presence of Egyptian forces to conduct joint training with their Sudanese
counterparts. The Egyptian Army spokesperson said that coordination is underway
with the concerned authorities in Sudan to ensure the safety of these Egyptian
troops.
Clashes erupted north of
Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Wednesday night, upending a temporary ceasefire
between the Sudanese Army and its rival, the Rapid Support Force, just hours
after it was struck.
The two factions have been
battling for days, and wednesday saw fierce fighting in central Khartoum as
well as serious clashes at the capital’s main airport, which has been closed
since Saturday.
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