Egypt has intensified its diplomatic engagement on Sudan as the Sudanese army continues to make gains on the battlefield. 

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a phone call on Monday with Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem to discuss the results of his recent visit to Port Sudan and ways to support efforts toward reaching a comprehensive settlement to the escalating conflict.

According to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty reaffirmed Cairo’s long-standing commitment to Sudan’s unity, territorial integrity and the preservation of its national institutions. He reiterated Egypt’s rejection of any attempts to divide the country or undermine its stability and condemned the “horrific atrocities” reported in El-Fasher in recent weeks.

Abdelatty stressed the urgent need to activate an effective humanitarian track that ensures unhindered aid delivery, calling for enhanced cooperation with the United Nations, the African Union and major relief agencies. 

He urged intensified regional and international efforts to secure a comprehensive ceasefire and pave the way for an inclusive political process that reflects the aspirations of Sudanese citizens for security, stability and development.

He also highlighted the importance of implementing the international “Quad” statement and pushing toward a permanent ceasefire that protects Sudan’s unity and the cohesion of its national institutions. Abdelatty underscored the continued coordination between Egypt and Sudan as Nile Basin neighbours with shared strategic water and security interests.

On Monday, the army recaptured the strategic town of Bara after heavy fighting with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to military and local sources. The advance follows the army’s takeover on Saturday of Um Dam Haj Ahmed, northeast of El Obeid, and the Kaskil area to the south, alongside the deployment of large troop formations to secure key towns and supply routes.

The renewed fighting is worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis in Darfur and Kordofan, where displacement continues to surge. UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher described the suffering of people fleeing El Fasher as “indescribable,” noting in a post on X that more than half of the survivors reaching makeshift camps in Tawila were children.

Fletcher shared accounts from women who fled the October attacks, saying refugees “carry horrific accounts of brutal violence.” He quoted one survivor who arrived at the camp carrying the starving child of a friend killed in the assault.

The UN said Fletcher also visited Geneina in West Darfur and Zalingei in Central Darfur during his trip last week, after arriving in Port Sudan for talks with Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Days earlier, the International Organization for Migration reported that more than 99,000 people have fled El-Fasher and surrounding villages since late October.