Egypt Calls on Int’l Donors to Fulfill Pledges to Support Sudan, Refugee-Hosting Countries

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo, 23 July, 2024. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo, 23 July, 2024. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Calls on Int’l Donors to Fulfill Pledges to Support Sudan, Refugee-Hosting Countries

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo, 23 July, 2024. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo, 23 July, 2024. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt on Tuesday called on international donors to swiftly fulfill their pledges to support Sudan, and its neighboring refugee-hosting countries after millions of Sudanese have been displaced due to the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

“Egypt is in ongoing talks with donor countries and humanitarian organizations to urge them to share the burden with Sudan’s caretaker government and neighboring countries,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during a meeting with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo.

Since the conflict erupted in Sudan in mid-April 2023, some 10 million have been displaced within the country or have fled into neighboring countries, making it the largest displacement crisis globally, according to UN statistics.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's unwavering support for the stability and safety of Sudan and its people, stressing Cairo's commitment to helping the Sudanese people overcome political, security, and humanitarian challenges caused by the ongoing war.

Early this month, Egypt hosted the Sudanese Political and Civil Forces Conference aimed at ending the war in the country.

According to the Egyptian FM, the Conference affirmed the need to maintain state institutions, deliver aid to Sudan and its neighbors, and ensure Sudanese control over the political process.

A Foreign Ministry statement said during their meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, Abdelatty and Awad reviewed the latest progress of the ongoing Egyptian development projects in Sudan, such as the electrical interconnection project and the reconstruction and development of Wadi Halfa Port.

Abdelatty pledged Egypt's continued commitment to completing these projects, the statement noted.

He called on international donors to quickly fulfill their pledges made at the conferences in Geneva and Paris to support Sudan, its neighboring refugee-hosting countries, and the UN humanitarian response plan.

Abdelatty said Egypt is in ongoing talks with donor countries and humanitarian organizations to urge them to share the burden with Sudan’s caretaker government and neighboring countries.

Egypt has received more than half a million of Sudanese fleeing the war, in addition to more than 5 million Sudanese who already reside in Egyptian cities, according to Egyptian government estimates.

For his part, the Sudanese minister thanked Egypt for the facilities and services provided to Sudanese citizens since the crisis began, including health and educational services, according to the Egyptian statement.

He also praised Egypt’s initiatives aimed at resolving the Sudanese crisis.

Abdelatty and Awad touched on several regional issues such as the situation in the Horn of Africa, the Gaza Strip crisis, the Red Sea security, the situation in Libya, and the Sahel–Saharan region.

They also discussed the dispute caused by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), reaffirming the unified stance of both countries on water security.



Algeria Tightens Measures to Combat Migrant Smuggling to Europe

A boat for illegal migration in the Mediterranean (circulated)
A boat for illegal migration in the Mediterranean (circulated)
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Algeria Tightens Measures to Combat Migrant Smuggling to Europe

A boat for illegal migration in the Mediterranean (circulated)
A boat for illegal migration in the Mediterranean (circulated)

Algerian authorities launched a new security unit last week to tackle human trafficking and migrant smuggling by sea from the country’s northern shores.

The unit, under the supervision of the Gendarmerie, was given broad powers and resources.

The Gendarmerie said on social media that the unit had dismantled two smuggling networks in Algiers, arrested 10 people, and seized seven boats used to transport migrants to southern Europe.

While the exact timing of the raids was not provided, the Gendarmerie mentioned that the networks were operating in Algiers, Blida (40 km west), and Ain Taya (30 km east).

The Gendarmerie said the new security unit was set up to combat organized crime, particularly illegal migration.

It noted that, through ongoing cooperation with other agencies, including the Birkhadem Investigation Unit and regional Gendarmerie teams in Algiers, three cases were handled.

These involved illegal crossings, mostly related to migrant smuggling, which is punishable under Algerian law. The Gendarmerie also seized boats worth $52,000 and a vehicle valued at around $30,000.

The Gendarmerie said it had referred members of two smuggling networks to the prosecution, without revealing their number. It stressed that efforts to tackle the issue, which has security, social, and economic impacts, would continue using all available resources.

Media reports confirmed that over 20 people were arrested. They had been charging up to 5,000 euros per person to smuggle migrants by sea to the nearest Spanish islands, a journey of 400 to 500 kilometers that takes about 24 hours in calm seas.

According to Spain’s EFE agency, 5,165 illegal migrants have reached the Balearic Islands since the start of the year, mostly from North Africa.

This represents a 100% increase from 2,278 migrants last year.