Egypt imposes visa requirement for Sudanese citizens crossing the border
Egypt has announced that all Sudanese citizens must obtain visas before crossing the border, reversing a long-standing exemption for women and children. The move comes as a ceasefire brokered by the US and Saudi Arabia took effect in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. The Egyptian foreign ministry said that the new regulations were aimed at cracking down on “illegal activities” including fraud. More than 200,000 Sudanese nationals have entered Egypt since fighting broke out two months ago between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, killing over 1,800 people and displacing 1.9 million.
The Egyptian foreign ministry stated that the new visa procedures were designed to regulate the entry of Sudanese citizens into Egypt after more than 50 days of crisis in their country. The ministry added that the new requirements were not intended to limit the entry of Sudanese nationals but to prevent illegal activities by individuals and groups on the Sudanese side of the border who forged entry visas for profit. Egypt’s foreign ministry stressed that its consulates in Sudan had been provided with the necessary electronic devices to carry out the regulations in a precise, rapid and safe manner.
People attempting to cross the Ashkeit border have complained of poor conditions and long wait times. On Saturday, two people attempting to cross the border were turned back as the new rule had taken effect. The new rules were imposed as a 24-hour ceasefire took effect in Khartoum, providing a window for humanitarian assistance and giving the public a break from the intense fighting. Previous ceasefires had allowed some humanitarian access but aid agencies reported still being impeded by the fighting, bureaucratic control and looting.
Medical aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières said on Saturday that its staff had been stopped by RSF soldiers and “obliged” to make a statement that was later circulated by the forces. Sudan’s army and the RSF have been fighting for two months, with the RSF commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
