Egypt Pushes for Resolution in Sudan & Libya

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty announced on Monday that Egypt is actively working to end the Israeli war in Gaza and facilitate the resolution of crises in Sudan and Libya.

Abdelatty met with his Rwandan counterpart, Vincent Biruta, in Kigali on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony of President Paul Kagame, according to a statement from the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the meeting, Abdelatty highlighted that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi prioritizes Egyptian-African relations, particularly with the Nile Basin countries, which share a common destiny with Egypt.

He emphasized "the necessity of addressing the continent's issues based on the principle of African solutions to African problems, through African initiatives that consider the unique circumstances of the continent's countries."

Abdelatty also expressed "Egypt's readiness to elevate the level of political dialogue with Rwanda and resume the work of the joint committee to enhance bilateral relations and open new areas of cooperation."

The two ministers discussed "cooperation among Nile Basin countries, Egypt's interest in the Horn of Africa, and the cooperation between Egypt and Rwanda within the African Union," according to the statement.

The meeting also witnessed the "signing of a memorandum of understanding between Egypt and Rwanda in the field of transport, in addition to the announcement of the allocation of a plot of land near the Tanzanian border for Egypt to establish a logistics zone."

Abdelatty presented "Egypt's perspective on the current developments in several issues, including the ongoing crisis in Gaza and Egypt's ongoing efforts to end it by achieving a comprehensive ceasefire, providing humanitarian aid, and preventing a large-scale regional war."

Supported by the United States, Israel has been waging war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 132,000 Palestinian casualties, most of whom are women and children, in addition to over 10,000 missing persons, amid widespread destruction and severe hunger.

For several months, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been conducting indirect talks between Israel and Hamas. However, these negotiations have yet to yield an agreement due to Tel Aviv's refusal to end the war, withdraw its forces from Gaza, and facilitate the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.

Abdelatty also discussed the "latest developments in the situations in Sudan and Libya" and addressed "Egypt's ongoing efforts to resolve the crises" in these two neighboring countries.

Since April 2023, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have been engaged in an armed conflict that has resulted in approximately 18,800 deaths and around 10 million displaced persons and refugees, according to United Nations estimates.

In Libya, since March 2022, there have been two governments: one internationally and UN-recognized, the Government of National Unity led by Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, based in the capital Tripoli, which controls the entire western region of the country.

The second government, led by Osama Hammad, was appointed by the House of Representatives and is based in Benghazi, controlling the eastern region and some cities in the south.

The existence of the two governments has exacerbated the political crisis in Libya, where Libyans hope for a resolution through presidential and parliamentary elections that represent their long-awaited dream. However, disagreements over election laws and the supervising body have delayed their implementation.