Religious, Media Support to Possible Egyptian Military Intervention in Libya

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, right, with Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) meeting in Cairo last year | AP
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, right, with Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) meeting in Cairo last year | AP
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Religious, Media Support to Possible Egyptian Military Intervention in Libya

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, right, with Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) meeting in Cairo last year | AP
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, right, with Khalifa Haftar, the head of the Libyan National Army (LNA) meeting in Cairo last year | AP

Egypt's announcement on deploying troops from the armed forces in Libya was highly welcomed by religious and media institutions.

The parliament unanimously approved "the deployment of members of the Egyptian armed forces on combat missions outside Egypt's borders to defend Egyptian national security against criminal armed militias and foreign terrorist elements", it said in a statement.

Al Azhar stressed its support for all measures adopted by the Egyptian leadership to protect national security and borders in the face of foreign threats.

In a statement, Azhar underlined the necessity of being aware of the dangers and challenges besetting Egypt in the current stage as well as closing ranks for the best interests of the nation. Further, Azhar hailed Egypt's keenness on realizing peaceful solutions.

In the same context, the Coptic Orthodox Church welcomed the parliament’s decision. The stances of Evangelical and Catholic Churches in Egypt intersected with the former's as well, hence expressing support to Egyptian actions concerning Libya.

For its part, Egypt's Dar al-Ifta backed Egypt's response on Libya and emphasized standing by the country against all challenges.

Moreover, the Ministry of Information in Egypt expressed full support to procedures taken by the state to maintain national security and defeat risks -- the Ministry lauded the Egyptian armed forces’ efforts in this regard.



Sudan Army Says Recaptures Key State Capital

Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
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Sudan Army Says Recaptures Key State Capital

Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP
Sudanese civilians displaced by offensive south of Khartoum earlier this year dream of returning to their homes after the regular army retakes territory - AFP

The Sudanese army said Saturday it had retaken a key state capital south of Khartoum from rival Rapid Support Forces who had held it for the past five months.

The Sennar state capital of Sinja is a strategic prize in the 19-month-old war between the regular army and the RSF as it lies on a key road linking army-controlled areas of eastern and central Sudan.

It posted footage on social media that it said had been filmed inside the main base in the city.

"Sinja has returned to the embrace of the nation," the information minister of the army-backed government, Khaled al-Aiser, said in a statement.

Aiser's office said armed forces chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had travelled to the city of Sennar, 60 kilometres (40 miles) to the north, on Saturday to "inspect the operation and celebrate the liberation of Sinja", AFP reported.

The RSF had taken the two cities in a lightning offensive in June that saw nearly 726,000 civilians flee, according to UN figures.

Human rights groups have said that those who were unwilling or unable to leave have faced months of arbitrary violence by RSF fighters.

Sinja teacher Abdullah al-Hassan spoke of his "indescribable joy" at seeing the army enter the city after "months of terror".

"At any moment, you were waiting for militia fighters to barge in and beat you or loot you," the 53-year-old told AFP by telephone.

Both sides in the Sudanese conflict have been accused of war crimes, including indiscriminately shelling homes, markets and hospitals.

The RSF has also been accused of summary executions, systematic sexual violence and rampant looting.

The RSF control nearly all of the vast western region of Darfur as well as large swathes of Kordofan in the south. They also hold much of the capital Khartoum and the key farming state of Al-Jazira to its south.

Since April 2023, the war has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted more than 11 million -- creating what the UN says is the world's largest displacement crisis.

From the eastern state of Gedaref -- where more than 1.1 million displaced people have sought refuge -- Asia Khedr, 46, said she hoped her family's ordeal might soon be at an end.

"We'll finally go home and say goodbye to this life of displacement and suffering," she told AFP.