Egyptian President Al-Sisi hosts General Al-Burhan to strengthen regional ties

General Abdelfatah al-Burhan, who has de facto ruled Sudan since the coup d'état last October, visited Cairo on the last Wednesday of March on an official visit. 

The synergies and cooperation between Egyptian President Al-Sisi and the Sudanese military have always been good. It should be recalled that a day before his coup d'état in Sudan, Al-Burhan paid a fleeting visit to Cairo to obtain the approval of the Al-Sisi government. Following the overthrow of the Hamdok-led transitional government and the strong protests that followed the coup, the Sudanese military junta has sought regional and Arab allies, while distrusting the West and the United Nations, which have failed to mediate a peaceful and democratic transition in Sudan. 

Al-Burhan's military, which continues to promise a civilian and democratic transition, appears to favour intervention by Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Al-Burhan's right-hand man, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemedti" visited Moscow at the end of February 2022.

The visits to Moscow and Cairo and Riyadh have a key element in relations with Sudan: ensuring control and stability in the Red Sea. Since 2019 Russia has been planning a naval base in Sudan to operate in the Red Sea. These plans were suspended in April 2021, but Hemedti's visit to Russia may have put the plan back on the table. Russia would thus have its base in Port Sudan, parallel to Western military bases further south in Djibouti. 

Al-Burhan's visit to Cairo undoubtedly touched on the issue of military bases on the Sudanese coast. Cairo, the region's leading military power, considers Russia's military presence in the Red Sea to be a danger to its interests, particularly with regard to the Suez Canal, and therefore considers it a top priority to keep the Sudanese government on its side. 

Egyptian security sources reportedly told the pan-Arabist media outlet Al-Arab that Cairo fears 'that terrorist operations carried out by the Houthi militia in the UAE and Saudi Arabia could become a further threat to navigation in the Red Sea and provoke a wider regional conflict'. So staying away from Russia seems the most stable course for Cairo. Russia's entry into the Red Sea could indeed greatly complicate regional stability, because of the confluence between Moscow and Iran, and friction with the West and its bases in Djibouti.

In the week prior to his visit, the Al-Burhan government amended Sudanese law so that all legislative processes that refer to Sudanese sovereign waters and coastlines must pass through the Ministry of Defence. This new legal provision in Sudan allows the armed forces greater control over its waters, and it is hoped that such control over the Red Sea will serve Egypt's interests, as a testament to the cooperation between Al-Burhan and Al-Sisi. 

Following the official visit, Al-Sisi and Al-Burhan gave a joint media appearance in which the two leaders expressed their good relations and intentions to continue working closely together to improve the economy and development of both countries, as well as their desire to cooperate in the military field. 

Sudan has conducted major military exercises with Egypt in this regard, and they share a wealth of intelligence. In terms of infrastructure, they are keen to establish common high-voltage power lines and cross-border railways.

The natural understanding and collaboration between Egypt and Sudan comes from a timeless geographical factor, which is the Nile. This is reflected in Egypt's relations with all countries up the great river. Uganda, Kenya, Burundi or Rwanda. As far as the Nile is concerned, Sudan and Egypt can establish a common front with Ethiopia in negotiations over the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.