Sisi vows continued Egypt’s backing for Sudan during talks with army chief

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi pledged his "continued support" to the military in war-torn Sudan during a meeting the country's army chief, his office said in a statement.

Sisi called for "a ceasefire and sparing the blood of Sudanese brothers" during talks with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan late on Monday, according to the statement from Egypt's presidency.

Sudan was plunged into civil war in April last year, Burhan's military fighting paramilitaries from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Burhan and Sisi have long been seen as allies and the RSF last month accused Egyptian forces of carrying out air strikes against them -- claims denied by Cairo.

During their meeting, Sisi "reiterated Egypt's continued support for Sudan on all levels to help the country emerge from its crisis", according to the Egyptian presidency.

Burhan praised Egypt's "sincere support for de-escalation efforts in Sudan" and its dedication to "preserving Sudan's unity, safety and stability".

At an earlier event in Cairo, the World Urban Forum, Sudan's army chief used his speech to criticise his RSF foes.

He labelled them of waging a war "targeting Sudan's existence, state, heritage, infrastructure and achievements".

Both the Sudanese army and the RSF have been accused of repeated atrocities in the war, including targeting civilians, indiscriminately shelling residential areas and looting or blocking aid.

The war has also resulted in the death of tens of thousands and the displacement of more than 11 million with 3.1 million sheltering beyond the country's borders, according to the United Nations.