Egypt confirms the handover of all its soldiers held in Sudan

20 Apr. (EUROPE PRESS) –

The Egyptian Armed Forces have confirmed this Thursday the release of all the Egyptian soldiers who were held in Sudan after the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the result of an operation that has also included external mediation.

Last week, the RSF showed in a video Egyptian soldiers allegedly captured in the town of Marowe, in northern Sudan. Cairo justified the presence of its troops by virtue of joint military maneuvers, derived from an agreement signed in 2018.

On Wednesday, the Egyptian Armed Forces sent three planes for an evacuation mission, so that “most” of the detained military were able to return home. The Sudanese Army confirmed this delivery in a statement in which it alluded to the return of more than 170 Egyptian soldiers.

This first group was joined by another that arrived this Thursday at the Egyptian Embassy in Sudan, in a second installment in which the International Committee of the Red Cross and “brother countries” mediated, according to the Egyptian Army statement.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates has confirmed its participation, in a note in which it has stressed that the Egyptian military is safe and has urged all parties to end the fighting in Sudan, start a process of dialogue and protect the civilian population.

For their part, the RSF themselves have also reported on Twitter the handover of 27 soldiers, “in excellent health.” According to the group, these are personnel detained on April 15 at a base in Marowe, after the start of fighting with forces loyal to the head of the Sudanese Army and president of the Sovereign Transition Council, Abdelfatá al Burhan.