Cairo: Chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan arrived in Egypt on Monday for talks on restoring stability to his war-torn country. Burhan was welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi upon arrival at Cairo airport, Egyptian and Sudanese media reported.

According to Anadolu Agency, discussions between the two leaders focused on developments in Sudan and military gains made by the Sudanese army against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum. The Egyptian presidency released a statement mentioning that they also discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation and Egypt's contribution to the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Sudan following the war. The two leaders called for intensifying efforts to provide support and assistance to the Sudanese in war zones.

Since April 15, 2023, the RSF has been engaged in conflict with the Sudanese army for control of the country, resulting in thousands of deaths and one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. More than 20,000 people have been killed, and 15 million others displaced, according to the UN and local authorities. Research from US scholars estimates the death toll at around 130,000.

Sisi and Burhan also exchanged views on regional issues of common concern, including the Nile River Basin and the Horn of Africa. According to the statement, both leaders reaffirmed coordination and joint work to preserve the water security of both nations and reiterated their rejection of any unilateral actions regarding the Nile water resources, especially the Blue Nile waters.

The Egyptian and Sudanese leaders emphasized their commitment to international law and equitable use of the Nile water resources based on mutual benefits. Downstream countries Egypt and Sudan have been locked in a years-long dispute with Ethiopia, an upstream nation, over a dam project being carried out by Addis Ababa on the Nile River. Cairo perceives the Ethiopian dam as an existential threat to its water share from the Nile River, the country's only source of freshwater.