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Egypt Affirms Support for Efforts to Combat Terrorism in Africa’s Sahel Region

West African countries suffer from the spread of terrorist groups (AFP)
West African countries suffer from the spread of terrorist groups (AFP)
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Egypt Affirms Support for Efforts to Combat Terrorism in Africa’s Sahel Region

West African countries suffer from the spread of terrorist groups (AFP)
West African countries suffer from the spread of terrorist groups (AFP)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty affirmed on Friday his country’s support for efforts to combat terrorism and extremism in West Africa’s Sahel region.
The Minister held a phone call with Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean Marie Traore. The talks focused on enhancing existing cooperation and exploring new opportunities aligned with both countries' current priorities, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Abdelatty emphasized Egypt's commitment to supporting national capacity building and institutional development in African nations through the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, and the scholarships from Egyptian universities.
He reiterated his country’s support for Burkina Faso’s efforts against terrorism and cross-border crime and highlighted the role of Al-Azhar mission in Burkina Faso in countering extremist ideologies and promoting moderate, accurate representations of Islam.
The Egyptian Minister also expressed Cairo’s dedication to strengthening peace and security in Africa, addressing shared regional and international issues, and responding to the security challenges facing West African countries, particularly in the Sahel and Sahara regions.
Also, in a call with his Nigerian counterpart Bakari Yao Sangare, Abdelatty underscored Egypt's role in assisting Niger in combating terrorism and building national capacities.
Both sides reviewed the latest developments in the Sahel region and West Africa and other regional and international issues.
The ministers also discussed the prospects of strengthening the existing bilateral cooperation frameworks during the coming period, especially in the economic and development fields.
Furthermore, Egypt's FM spoke to his Malian counterpart Abdoulaye Diop, given the “great importance of Mali in the Sahel region of Africa,” as described in the ministry statement.
During the phone call, Abdelatty affirmed Cairo's ongoing efforts to bolster security and stability in West Africa and support national governments in reclaiming sovereignty over their territories and combating terrorism.

 

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Sudan Officially Denies Sending Presidential Envoy to Israel

 A destroyed tank in a street in Khartoum (Archive - Reuters) 
 A destroyed tank in a street in Khartoum (Archive - Reuters) 
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Sudan Officially Denies Sending Presidential Envoy to Israel

 A destroyed tank in a street in Khartoum (Archive - Reuters) 
 A destroyed tank in a street in Khartoum (Archive - Reuters) 

The Sudanese government, currently based in Port Sudan as a temporary capital, has officially denied sending any envoy to Israel.

This comes in response to Israeli media reports claiming that the head of the Transitional Sovereignty Council and de facto Prime Minister, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had secretly dispatched a personal envoy to Tel Aviv.

The alleged mission was reportedly aimed at seeking military and diplomatic support, promoting Burhan to the new US administration, allaying Israeli concerns over Khartoum’s growing ties with Tehran, and aiding the Sudanese army in its war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

In a brief statement broadcast by the state news agency (SUNA), Minister of Culture and Information and official government spokesperson, Khalid Ali Aleisir, said that the media reports were “completely unfounded.” He asserted that the Sudanese government had not sent “any envoy” to Israel and called on media outlets to “exercise accuracy, objectivity, and professionalism, and to avoid spreading unreliable information.”

These comments were issued following a report by The Jerusalem Post and other Israeli media outlets on Monday, which claimed that Burhan had secretly dispatched his former chief of staff, Lieutenant General Al-Sadiq Ismail, to Tel Aviv last week to meet with Israeli officials.

The Jerusalem Post stated that the purpose of the secret visit was to coordinate Israel’s support in promoting Burhan to the new US administration, providing military aid to the Sudanese army in its conflict against the RSF, and encouraging the advancement of normalization efforts with Tel Aviv — including finalizing Sudan’s involvement in the Abraham Accords.

This is not the first time Burhan has stirred controversy over Sudan-Israel relations. On February 3, 2020, he surprised Sudan’s civilian leaders in the transitional government when he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Uganda. At the time, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that the two agreed to initiate cooperation as a step toward normalizing relations.

In response to local and Palestinian backlash over the meeting, Burhan defended his decision, saying it was driven by the desire to “serve the higher interests of the Sudanese people.” However, this justification failed to convince his civilian counterparts in the transitional government, led by then-Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.