Egypt Caught in the Crossfire Amid Sudan Military Outbreak

Citizens rally outside the Egyptian embassy in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum to protest against Egypt's intervention in their political process. Egyptian military officers became involved in recent Sudanese violence during a routine training operation over the weekend. Photo: AP Photo/Uncredited

As decades-old tensions erupted in Sudan over the weekend, several Egyptian officers became caught in the crossfire as Sudan’s rivaling military factions fight for military control, decimating local communities and sparking international outrage. The sudden outburst interfered with a routine training operation between Sudan and Egypt which led to the capture of some Egyptian soldiers, Cairo confirmed on Sunday.

Sudan, like many other Arab nations, has had a tumultuous history in the last several decades. After changing political systems in the 1980s and 90s, Sudanese unrest shifted to domestic affairs during the Darfur Genocide, the independence of South Sudan, and fractioning of the ruling party. Per the former, militia groups that were originally designated as “anti-insurgency” have adapted to modern Sudanese culture, rebranding themselves as the “Rapid Support Forces,” or RSF. Since the turn of the century, the RSF has been convicted by the International Criminal Court of “crimes against humanity” regarding their treatment of non-Muslim and non-Arab communities in the Darfur region.

The current clashes started late last week when RSF forces began to mobilize across Sudan, particularly within Khartoum and nearby Merowe. The RSF, acting extrajudicially and without the authorization of army leadership, has targeted airports, military routes, and even UN facilities in the Darfur region. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAR), recognized as the official military force of the Republic of Sudan, have responded to the actions of the RSF with equal violence and disregard for local life. As of writing, over 180 people have been killed as both RSF and SAR have begun pillaging local residential communities.

Smoke blankets the sky of a Khartoum neighborhood after factions within Sudan’s military and government engaged in fierce clashes April 15. Photo: AP Photo/Marwan Ali

Egypt and Sudan, as neighboring countries, have a long history of bilateral relations. Under British colonization, Sudan (notably categorized as the Arab-majority north and multi-ethnic south) was co-governed by Egypt, who subsequently gave Sudan its independence shortly after Britain left the region. While the two have had better and worse relations over Sudan’s nearly 70-year history of independence, the pair have enjoyed prosperous collaboration despite Sudan’s internal struggles with the Darfur conflict and the independence of South Sudan. Recently, that relationship has produced a robust system of transnational military training programs: the very programs that caught Egypt in the current violence in Sudan.

In a series of videos released Sunday, April 16, military equipment, aircrafts, and soldiers bearing Egyptian military logos can be seen with RSF forces, who sieged the aforementioned aircraft in Merowe. After a brief stint with RSF forces, including surrender by Egyptian forces, the RSF has reported that they will be releasing the Egyptian nationals to their home country by the end of the weekend. The status of that transfer is currently unknown, but Egyptian leadership has publicly confirmed the safety of their units.

Egypt, as a border country to Sudan, understandably has a stake in the stability of Sudan’s government. For this reason, they have a history of supporting the official Sudanese channels, such as the SAR and the de facto military government under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. After the recent outbreak, Egypt has led the calls on the UN, G7, and Arab League to mediate a ceasefire between the RSF and SAR, though there are reports that they themselves have been blocked by Sudanese media. As the violence extends over more and more days, these external bodies have begun to involve themselves in the conflict; still, only time will tell if these ceasefires and interventions are able to effectively maintain peace in the region.