Sudan20 September, 20262 min read
El-Sisi Meets CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Cairo to Discuss Sudan War
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Sisi and Ratcliffe discussed Sudan’s war and Cairo's efforts to end it. Talks covered Iran tensions, Gaza war, and safeguarding international maritime navigation.
Cairo talks on Sudan
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met CIA Director John Ratcliffe in Cairo on Sunday, discussing Sudan’s war alongside other regional security issues, with El-Sisi reaffirming Egypt’s support for Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and state institutions. The meeting, held in the presence of Hassan Rashad, also addressed efforts “to help end the war, ease humanitarian suffering and support a political settlement,” according to Dabanga Radio TV Online.
In a separate account of the same Cairo talks, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency said El-Sisi stressed that “Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity are non-negotiable constants.” The Sudan file was also described as part of a broader agenda that included developments in the Horn of Africa and Somalia, with El-Sisi linking Egypt’s engagement to ending the war and alleviating humanitarian suffering.
Coordination and civilian divisions
Dabanga Radio TV Online said the talks came as former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok led a civilian delegation to New York for meetings with US and international officials on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, with the delegation expected to push for an end to the war and address Sudan’s worsening humanitarian crisis. The same report added that detractors pointed to divisions among Sudanese civilian forces, with Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (Sumoud) leader Shihab Ibrahim telling Radio Dabanga that the delegation’s visit would last about two weeks.
In the Cairo meeting coverage, Ratcliffe emphasized the importance of continued US-Egyptian coordination on Sudan and wider security issues in the Horn of Africa, framing the discussion as part of intelligence and security cooperation. The official line from the Egyptian Presidency also portrayed the meeting as strengthening strategic relations and sustaining coordination, with Ratcliffe expressing “the importance of continued coordination and consultation between the relevant authorities in the two countries, particularly regarding the Sudanese crisis.”
What Egypt says is at stake
Across the coverage of the Cairo meeting, Egypt’s position on Sudan was repeatedly tied to preserving “legitimate national institutions,” with the official spokesperson saying El-Sisi reaffirmed Egypt’s steadfast position in support of Sudan’s unity and stability. The official account also said the talks addressed ways to strengthen strategic relations between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the United States, while El-Sisi emphasized that Egypt is actively and constructively engaged in international and regional frameworks aimed at ending the war and supporting a political settlement.
In SANA’s summary of the meeting, Sisi “affirmed Egypt’s stance supporting Sudanese unity and national institutions,” and Ratcliffe called for continued bilateral intelligence and security cooperation on Sudan. The same SANA report placed the Sudan discussion alongside maritime security and other regional files, describing the meeting as focused on restoring regional stability and safeguarding freedom of navigation while addressing the Sudanese crisis through engagement in regional frameworks.