Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Thursday met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, as the former's war with his deputy-turned-rival approaches one year.
The pair "will hold joint bilateral discussions" and "discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations," according to a statement from Sudan's ruling sovereignty council.
Since last April, Burhan has been at war with his former deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In footage broadcast by the presidency, Sisi embraced Burhan – Sudan's de facto leader since he and Dagalo led a joint coup in 2021 – at the airport in Cairo and received him in the presidential palace with the ceremony reserved for heads of state.
'De-escalating the situation'
The presidency also said the pair would discuss "de-escalating the situation" in Sudan.
Burhan and his government have retreated to the country's east, governing from the coastal city of Port Sudan, while the RSF controls much of the capital Khartoum, nearly the entire western Darfur region and much of the country's south.
The war has killed tens of thousands, including up to 15,000 in a single West Darfur town, according to United Nations experts.
It has also decimated the economy, destroyed infrastructure and forced over eight million people from their homes, according to UN figures.
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