Some Egyptian soldiers were allegedly captured by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group that is trying to take power in Sudan. A video released on social networks by the same paramilitaries shows a group of Egyptian soldiers, probably belonging to the air force, crouched on the ground in the Merowe air base, located in the north of the country, under the gun threat of the Sudanese rebels. They could be personnel part of the Egypt-Sudan bilateral agreement. Another photograph published via Telegram shows some soldiers of the Egyptian El Sa'ka special forces with their hands behind their backs, apparently fallen prisoners of the Sudanese rebels. The Egyptian authorities have not yet released any comments on the matter.
The Foreign Ministry of Egypt has announced that it is following "with great concern the developments of the situation in Sudan following the ongoing clashes". A press release "calls on all Sudanese parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to protect the lives and ability of the Sudanese people to support the supreme interests of the homeland". EgyptAir, the national airline of Egypt, has announced for its part the temporary suspension of its flights to and from Khartoum airport, starting today, Saturday 15 April, for a period of 72 hours, until it is informed developments in the situation in Sudan. The company itself reported it in a press release.
Egyptian-Sudanese relations improved markedly after the overthrow of former President Omar al Bashir in 2019 and further strengthened following the October 2021 military coup in Sudan led by Sudanese general Abdel Fatah al Burhan against the civilian component of the transitional government that led the country after the fall of Bashir. In addition to military cooperation, Cairo has already sent several aid packages to Khartoum in times of crisis and during last summer's devastating floods that affected several regions of Sudan, Egypt sent medical and humanitarian aid to support the Sudanese population .
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