A delegation from the Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, visited Cairo to meet with senior Egyptian officials, officials from the Arab League and Sudanese political figures in Egypt.

The visit is aimed at ending the ongoing devastating conflict in Sudan, said a statement from the civilian group.

This is the former PM’s first visit to Egypt since the outbreak of the conflict in April last year.

The Taqaddum statement pointed out that the visit reflects the historic relations that bind the Sudanese and Egyptian people. It is also part of efforts carried out by the group with friendly countries to help end the conflict in Sudan.

Officials will discuss the “catastrophic humanitarian conditions endured by our people” and work on effectively responding to it, the statement added.

“This demands determination from the main parties and regional and international coordination” to address the situation, it stressed.

The statement underscored that Egypt is hosting hundreds of thousands of Sudanese people who fled the war, hoping that the visit would be a step forward in intensifying and coordinating efforts to put an end to the conflict.

The Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces is a coalition of civil society, youth, vocational and feminist groups working towards bolstering democracy and human rights in Sudan.

The coalition has been active in recent months to help end the war between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It has held several meetings in neighboring countries to tackle the conflict.

Hamdok had earlier this year called for holding contacts with the army and RSF leaderships. In January, he met with RSF leader Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Daglo in Ethiopia.

Egypt had in July 2023 hosted a summit for Sudan’s neighbors, including South Sudan, Libya, Chad, Central Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The summit agreed on a communication mechanism led by their foreign ministers to discuss the necessary executive measures to tackle the consequences of the war on the future and stability of Sudan.

Egypt has also hosted in recent months meetings of a number of Sudanese political forces, including the central council of the Forces of Freedom and Change, that discussed coming up with a political framework to end the conflict.

The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April last year in the capital Khartoum. In the eleven months since, the fighting has spread, claiming thousands of lives, driven millions from their homes and plunged Sudan into a dire humanitarian crisis.