Egypt Tightens Entry Rules for Sudanese Nationals Amid Ongoing Conflict

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday declared that Sudanese nationals seeking refuge from the ongoing war will now need visas to enter the country. This announcement comes after over 200,000 Sudanese individuals have sought shelter in Egypt since the civil conflict erupted in Sudan in April. These new arrivals join an already established Sudanese community of 5 million people in Egypt.

The ministry’s statement clarified that this measure, which comes after over 50 days of crisis, aims to curb “illegal activities by individuals and groups on the Sudanese side of the border, who forged entry visas,” rather than to obstruct refugee entries.

The unrest in Sudan, with opposing forces led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has displaced nearly 1.9 million people and claimed 1,800 lives. The US and Saudi Arabia brokered a 24-hour cease-fire on Saturday, a temporary respite from the ongoing fighting.