The Sudan army on Thursday said 177 Egyptian Air Force troops were airlifted back to Egypt after being held in the northern Sudanese town of Merowe by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Sudanese army said in a statement the Egyptians were evacuated from the northern town Dongola via four Egyptian military planes.
The military said the Egyptians were in Sudan to participate in joint air force exercises.
The Egyptian military did not announce the evacuation but earlier said in a brief statement it was coordinating with authorities in Sudan to secure the return of the troops.
After clashes erupted across Sudan between the RSF and the army on Saturday, the RSF shared a video it said showed Egyptian troops who had “surrendered” to them in the northern town of Merowe, about halfway between the Sudanese capital Khartoum and the border with Egypt.
The video showed men dressed in army fatigues crouched on the ground and speaking to members of the RSF, Sudan’s main paramilitary group, in an Egyptian Arabic dialect.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Monday the country was in regular contact with the RSF to ensure the safety of the Egyptian soldiers.
Meanwhile, Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) denied on Thursday providing support to one party in Sudan against the other.
“The General Command categorically denies reports of providing support to one party against the other,” LNA spokesman Ahmad Mesmari said in a statement.
Mesmari added that the LNA is conducting urgent calls and is ready to play a mediating role between the parties in Sudan.
Breaking of ceasefire in continued Sudan conflict: Dr Westen Shilaho
