Egypt Says Foreign Troops Must Leave Libya

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the Russian Security Council Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, in Moscow (Egypt's Foreign Ministry)
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the Russian Security Council Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, in Moscow (Egypt's Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Says Foreign Troops Must Leave Libya

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the Russian Security Council Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, in Moscow (Egypt's Foreign Ministry)
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with the Russian Security Council Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, in Moscow (Egypt's Foreign Ministry)

Egypt reiterated that all foreign forces must leave Libyan territories, rejecting any foreign presence in the country.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry discussed with the Russian Security Council Secretary, Nikolai Patrushev, in Moscow bilateral relations and international and regional developments.

Shoukry said Egypt supports the roadmap set by Libyans, reiterating the importance of the planned presidential and parliamentary elections.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez said that Shoukry stressed the need for all foreign forces to leave Libya.

Shoukry also discussed with the Russian official recent Palestinian developments and Egypt's continuous efforts to revive the peace process.

They also addressed Cairo's current efforts to support reconstruction efforts in the Palestinian territories.

Cairo attaches great importance to the pullout of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, which President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has stressed in most of his meetings with foreign officials.

In a meeting of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) on Libya last week, Shoukry stressed that the presence of foreign forces and mercenaries in Libya has an impact on its national security and the security of its Arab neighbors.

He said that the international community had not taken firm measures to end the presence of foreign forces and mercenaries in country.

"Egypt warned more than a year ago of the consequences of the continuation of the armed conflict in Libya and that it may have to take measures to protect its national security and preserve the balance of power if it was disrupted," he added.

Shoukry reiterated Egypt's call for the "unconditional, simultaneous, and coordinated exit."



Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
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Sudanese Army Recaptures Positions from RSF in El Fasher

Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)
Thick smoke rises over El Fasher following clashes between army forces and the RSF (DPA)

The Sudanese army carried out a surprise military operation in the early hours of Saturday in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, regaining several positions in the city’s far southwest that it had previously abandoned to advancing Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Military sources reported that calm returned to El Fasher after intense clashes on Friday between the army and RSF fighters, who attempted a major offensive to deepen their hold inside the city. In a statement, the army said its Sixth Infantry Division successfully repelled a fresh RSF attack, inflicting heavy losses in personnel and equipment, and restored control over all frontline areas.

RSF militants had infiltrated southern neighborhoods, seizing the Central Security Reserve headquarters and the Shalla prison. According to army sources, these forces were pushed back through ground combat supported by extensive drone strikes, forcing them to retreat to their original positions. The sources confirmed there were no significant breakthroughs or territorial gains by the RSF following the operation.

In a statement on Saturday, Prime Minister Kamel Idris expressed “deep anger, pain, and responsibility” over the worsening humanitarian disaster in El Fasher. He condemned the “suffocating and inhumane siege imposed by the RSF militia,” describing it as “one of the most brutal cases of collective extortion and systematic starvation in recent history.”

Idris vowed that the government would not stand idly by in the face of this “atrocious” crime and pledged to use all political, diplomatic, and humanitarian means to break the siege and ensure urgent aid reaches civilians trapped in El Fasher amid widespread starvation and international silence.

He called on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with international and humanitarian organizations, to act immediately to pressure the militia to open humanitarian corridors and end the use of starvation as a weapon against civilians.

The prime minister highlighted the RSF’s refusal to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2736, which demands lifting the siege on El Fasher, and their rejection of UN calls for a humanitarian ceasefire. He held the militia responsible for obstructing aid and accountable for the ongoing starvation and terror inflicted on civilians.

Idris warned against silence over these crimes, including the killing of civilians fleeing the siege and bombardments. He also cited the systematic destruction of hospitals by RSF suicide drone and strategic attacks, threatening the lives of millions of innocent civilians.

“What is happening in El Fasher is a major crime committed in full view and hearing of the world,” he said, urging the international community to move beyond lukewarm statements to real action and pressure on those besieging, starving, and attacking civilians.

The RSF continues to attempt to seize the city and its army base, the last stronghold of government forces across all Darfur states. Military sources said defenders repelled the assault and inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers.

The RSF has maintained a tight siege on El Fasher since May 2024, blocking all roads and supply routes and preventing humanitarian aid from entering, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths from starvation and medical shortages.