Since the outbreak of the crisis in Sudan in April between the country's warring generals, Cairo has faced a dilemma regarding how to approach the war on its southern borders. Historically and geographically linked to Sudan , Cairo views the stability of its southern neighbor as vital to its interests.
Despite intense diplomatic efforts, Cairo appears to face difficult a difficult choice between neutrality and supporting one side at the expense of the other. On one hand, the SAF—led by Burhan—exhibit Islamist tendencies, yet they are the last relatively cohesive national institution in the country since the collapse of Bashir's regime. On the other hand, the RSF is a militia based on tribal foundations and supported by some regional actors, making them unreliable for building a democratic and free Sudan.
Department of Defense—about the situation in Sudan. The Sudan crisis is an opportunity for active regional players, especially Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, to address the region's crises. However, recent indications suggest what appears to be a shift in Egypt's stance toward supporting the SAF, even if such moves have been tentative. Moreover, U. Sudan, which shares a 1, km border with Egypt, has been more than just a neighbor; it has been a historical partner through multiple eras.
From the Ottoman-Egyptian rule to Sudanese independence, the relations between the two countries have been deeply intertwined. As such, any instability in Sudan directly affects Egypt's national security and vital resources, particularly Nile water. In March , for example, the Egyptian army announced that Egyptian and Sudanese forces had conducted a series of military exercises as part of the joint maneuvers "Nile Eagles 2. Yet these tensions escalated into an armed conflict that caused significant destruction in the capital, Khartoum, and other cities, along with a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The soldiers were later handed over to the Egyptian government through the International Red Cross. However, in September, the Sudanese army denied acquiring K-8 aircraft from Egypt, asserting that it had owned squadrons of this aircraft model for over 20 years.
