May 2, 2023

1. Egypt Raises Prices of Most Subsidized Commodities, Except Bread (SNA Business).  The Finance Ministry announced its plan to increase funding for social protection programs by 48.8 percent to reach 529.7 billion pounds in the upcoming fiscal year. In addition, food subsidies will also be raised by 41.9 percent to 127.7 billion pounds. However, supply Minister Ali al-Moselhi states that most funding increases will be toward bread subsidies. The Supply Minister also said that Egypt is seriously considering approving the currencies of its commodity trading partners, such as China, India, and Russia, to reduce its dependence on dollars.

May 3, 2023

1. Egyptian Banks’ Net Foreign Assets Deficit Swells to Over $24 Bln in March (Ahram Online). As per the CBE’s data, Egypt’s NFAs deficit surged by EGP 536.2 billion ($17.33 billion) month-on-month in March 2023, up from EGP 219.389 billion ($7.09 billion) recorded in the corresponding month-a-year earlier. As a result, total foreign assets in Egypt declined to EGP 1.439 trillion ($46.5 billion) in March 2023, down from EGP 1.476 trillion ($47.7 billion) in February.
2. Sisi Expresses Concern about Regional Impact of Fighting in Sudan (Ahram Online). “The entire region could be affected. We are making our best effort to bring about discussions between the military and the RSF,” El-Sisi said in a 70-minute interview with the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, published on Monday… However, el-Sisi stressed that “[Egypt] will not interfere in the domestic politics of other nations because we do not want to complicate the situation further.”
3. US Ready to Support Egypt in Hosting Sudanese Refugees: Blinken to Shoukry (Ahram Online). As of 27 April, around 14,000 Sudanese citizens and 2,000 citizens from 50 countries and six international organizations had crossed into Egypt from Sudan, according to previous statements from Abu Zeid… In addition, the two officials discussed on a phone call the efforts to reach a sustainable ceasefire to the conflict that allows humanitarian aid to reach its intended recipients in Sudan.
4. UAE National Paints Acquires Egypt State-owned PACHIN in $25 Mln Deal after Intense Competition (Ahram Online). The company is among the 32 state-owned companies Egypt has offered as investment opportunities for local and foreign investors… This acquisition represents a clear commitment from the Egyptian government to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Under the $3 billion loan deal signed last year, Egypt has committed to generating $2 to $2.5 billion in revenue to fund budget deficits by selling stakes in state-owned assets.
5. Cleopatra Was Not Black: Egyptian Experts Slam Netflix for Misrepresenting History in New Drama-documentary (Daily News Egypt). Netflix has announced that it will produce a series of documentaries exploring the lives of prominent African queens. It will kick off the series with the historical personality Cleopatra because she was the world’s most famous and influential woman then. However, the series, scheduled to be released on 10 May, raised much controversy about the race of Cleopatra, as the official promo showed that the actress who plays Cleopatra was a brunette woman.

May 4, 2023

1.  Egypt’s President Al-Sisi Welcomes High-Level US Representatives Delegation Led by McCarthy (Cairo 24). President Al-Sisi emphasized Egypt’s commitment to maintaining communication with US Congress leaders as part of the coordination and consultation efforts between the two allied nations at various levels. This is particularly significant in light of the region’s turbulent conditions, escalating challenges, and the current global situation marked by energy, food, and financial crises.
2. Egypt Capitalizes on Affordable Russian Wheat by Acquiring Large Quantities (Al Arabiya). Traders reported that Egypt’s General Authority for Supply Commodities, the government’s grain purchaser, acquired 655,000 tons of wheat in an international transaction on Tuesday, primarily consisting of inexpensive Russian wheat. The total is approximately 535,000 tons from Russia and 120,000 tons from Romania.
3. Egypt’s National Dialogue Starts Following a Year of Preparations (Ahram Online). The opening of the National Dialogue comes a year after President El-Sisi called, in April 2022,  for a dialogue between all political forces without exception or discrimination to find common grounds on priority political, social, and economic issues.

May 5, 2023

1. Crisis in Sudan: Border Alert in Egypt (Ahram Online). Egypt’s border with Sudan is 150km longer than Libya’s. While Cairo has stepped up precautions along its southern border since the outbreak of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the situation is fuelling growing concern.
2. FM Shoukry Discusses Sudan, Syria with Arab Counterparts Ahead of 7 May Meeting (Ahram Online). Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry called in the past 48 hours with various Arab foreign ministers to discuss developments in Sudan and Syria in preparation for the upcoming extraordinary meeting of Arab foreign ministers about the two countries on 7 May.

May 8, 2023

1. Arrests Affect the Family of Presidential Candidates in Egypt (Aljazeera Net). Human Rights Watch criticized the Egyptian authorities’ arrest of some relatives and supporters of former parliament member Ahmed Tantawi, who announced last March that he would run for the presidency in the 2024 elections. Human Rights Watch said it had documented a clear pattern of Egyptian authorities retaliating against families of activists and critics living abroad, using unlawful home raids, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and prolonged detention of family members without trial or charges. 
2. Top UN Official Travels to Saudi Arabia for Sudan Cease Fire Talks (The New Arab). The UN’s top humanitarian official arrived in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on Sunday for talks aiming for a ceasefire between Sudan’s warring generals, a spokesperson said. A UN official said Martin Griffiths would meet representatives of the two generals at the heart of the conflict, army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, commonly known as “Hemedti,” who heads the Rapid Support Forces. 
3.  Saudi King and Crown Prince Directed $100 Million in Aid to the Sudanese People  (Ahram Gate).  King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid provides a variety of humanitarian aid in the amount of $100 million to mitigate the effects of the current conditions that the Sudanese people are going through.
4.  Egyptian Foreign Minister Calls for Immediate Ceasefire in Sudan  (Egypt Daily News). President Al-Sisi explained Egypt’s efforts to stop and stabilize the ceasefire, create a climate for peaceful dialogue and complete the transitional phase to spare the Sudanese people from the worsening humanitarian risks of the conflict. In the same context, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reiterated Egypt’s “firm and declared” position on the Sudanese crisis, calling for “the immediate ceasefire to preserve the blood of the Sudanese people.”
5.  African Union Calls for Sudan Ceasefire (Al Jazeera).  The African Union, in a Statement, called on the Sudanese parties to agree to an urgent ceasefire as a first step to allow the immediate supply of relief materials to alleviate the suffering of Sudanese civilians. It stressed the need to immediately agree to open humanitarian corridors to facilitate the distribution of essential supplies and the restoration of services. This came when the two parties to the conflict in Sudan confirmed their participation in talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the first since the outbreak of fighting between them on April 15.

May 9, 2023

1.  Airstrikes Rock Sudan as Truce Talks Yield No Breakthrough (The New Arab). Air strikes again shook Sudan’s capital on Monday. At the same time, the latest truce talks in Jeddah have yielded no progress – with a Saudi diplomat saying both sides consider themselves “capable of winning the battle.”

May 10, 2023

1. Al-Burhan Thanks Saudis for Hosting Peace Talks but Rejects “Internationalization” of the Sudan Crisis (Al Arabiya). On Monday, the Sudanese army commander, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, said, “We refuse to internationalize our cause, and we do not want external conditions imposed on us.” However, he directed his thanks to Saudi Arabia for hosting the negotiations aimed at stopping the fighting.
2. Egypt National Dialogue Advocates for Democratic Multi-Candidate Presidential Elections (Ahram Online). The National Dialogue’s board of trustees urged all parties and entities to pave the way for a democratic atmosphere for multi-candidate presidential elections a year ahead of the country’s upcoming presidential polls.
3.  Sisi Meets with South Sudan’s Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs (Egypt Independent). Manime handed Sisi a message from South Sudanese President Salva Kiir regarding ways to enhance the strong bilateral ties between both countries and developments in the situation in Sudan, Fahmy explained.

May 11, 2023

1.  Violent Clashes and Street War Between the Two Sides of the Conflict in the Sudanese Capital (Alarabiya). Both the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces failed to abide by the repeated armistice agreements, as street warfare continues between the military and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum. At the same time, the Rapid Support Forces confirmed that the presidential palace was hit hard during the army raids… In addition, civilians in many neighborhoods of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, were forced to form guard patrols to secure their homes and properties in light of the rampant burglary and looting phenomenon due to the security deterioration.
2. Qais Said: Tunisia Will Remain Safe No Matter How Criminals Try Destabilizing it (​​Gate Ahram). We will work to maintain security and stability within society. But unfortunately, such criminal operations have been known to many countries, and significant countries still suffer.

May 12, 2023

1. “An Agreement to End the Crisis at Any Moment.” Cautious Optimism in Sudan (Alarabiya) The spokesman for the political process, Khaled Omar Youssef, confirmed that the Jeddah talks are close to reaching an agreement. While the negotiations continue between the delegations of the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces in Jeddah, with Saudi and American mediation, to stop the fighting that broke out in Sudan between the two military forces since mid-April, it appears that there is cautious optimism. It is looming on the horizon, despite the violent clashes in the capital, Khartoum, during the past hours.
2.  UN Human Rights Body Turns Attention to Sudan’s Conflict as Warring Generals Fight for Control (English Ahram). The Human Rights Council, comprised of 47 U.N. member states, is set to vote on a resolution to scrutinize current human rights violations in Sudan further.
3.  Egypt has No Plans to retake the GERD Issue to UN Security Council at this Stage: FM Shoukry (English Ahram) Shoukry said that Egypt had no plans to go to the UNSC at this stage as Ethiopia gears up for the fourth filling of the dam despite objections from both Cairo and Khartoum. He added that the Egyptians must have confidence in their leadership and institutions to deal with the matter and take all the necessary actions to protect the Egyptian citizen and Egypt’s water security.

May 15, 2023

1. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry Accuses the RSF of Violating the Armistice and Targeting Health Facilities (Al Arabiya ). The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack and forced entry of Rapid Support militia into the Jabra and Ahmed Qassem Heart and Kidney Hospitals, assaulting medical personnel, terrorizing patients, and stealing ambulances. 
2.  Closed or Proportional: Egypt’s National Dialogue Debates Parliament Electoral System (English Ahram). In its first discussion session, Egypt’s National Dialogue’s Committee on Exercising Political Rights and Parliamentary Representation witnessed Sunday a heated debate on whether to adopt the closed list or proportional list during the parliament’s electoral process.

May 16, 2023

1. Egypt’s Economy Braces for New Hit from Sudan Conflict (Al-Monitor). Egypt fears a prolonged conflict across the border in Sudan, a significant export market, will complicate its economic hardships. Egypt’s trade exchange with Sudan hit $1.4 billion in 2022, up from $1.2 billion a year earlier, including $929.2 million in Egyptian exports and $504.4 million in imports, according to the state-run Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.
2. Egypt Sells 9.5% of Telecom Egypt’s Shares for 3.7 Billion Pounds (SNA Business). The Financial Supervisory Authority had approved the Ministry of Finance, as the main shareholder in Telecom Egypt, to sell 10 percent of the company’s shares on the stock exchange, according to a statement published on the Egyptian Stock Exchange website…The two-stage sale deal will reduce the government’s share in Telecom Egypt to 70 percent from 80 percent, while the remaining share will be traded on the stock exchange.
3. Latest Developments in Sudan (Sky News). Kuwait announces that the residence of the head of its military office in Khartoum has been stormed…The storming of the Jordanian embassy in Khartoum…and the kingdom reveals the status of its mission. Daglo denies the “rumors” of his death…and Al-Burhan freezes RSF accounts.

May 18, 2023

1. Human Rights Watch Accuses Egypt of ‘Detaining and Torturing’ Female Relatives of ISIS Militants in North Sinai (Human Rights Watch). Egyptian authorities have arbitrarily detained women and girls related to suspected members of the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate in North Sinai, some for months or years … Some were themselves victims of abuses by the ISIS-linked group, including rape and forced marriage, and were detained after they escaped and sought help from the authorities.
2. Italian Defense Minister Says Egypt Plays Vital Role Regional Stability (Al Ahram English). Italian Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto noted in a meeting with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo on Wednesday that “Egypt plays a key role in maintaining stability in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions,” according to a statement released by the Egyptian presidency.

May 19, 2023

1. Sudan Doctors Committee: The Death Toll from the Conflict in West Darfur Has Risen to 500 (Al-Arabyia). The situation of health facilities in Sudan is deteriorating…60 hospitals are completely or partially out of service.
2. Heavy Weapon Clashes in Khartoum: UN Delivers Shocking Estimates on Humanitarian Situation (Al Jazeera). Local Sudanese sources reported that an explosion shook the center of the capital, Khartoum, on Thursday morning, causing plumes of smoke to rise from the scene. This incident coincides with United Nations estimates that over half Sudan’s population requires humanitarian aid…Meanwhile, the Sudan Doctors Committee announced that the death toll from the clashes had escalated to 833, with more than 3,300 people injured.
3. Morocco’s Parliament Forms ‘Moroccan-Israeli Friendship’ Group (New Arab).Most of the political parties in the country have switched to a normalisation-friendly policy since Rabat joined the Abraham Accords late in 2020.
4. Amnesty International Says Ghannouchi Sentencing Signifies Aggressive Crackdown on Tunisia’s Opposition (The New Arab). Amnesty International has raised concerns over the intensifying crackdown on dissidents and critics of Tunisian President Kais Saied following a Tunisian court’s decision to sentence opposition figure Rached Ghannouchi to prison under the country’s anti-terrorism law.

May 19, 2023

1. Al-Burhan Relieves Hamidati And Assigns Malik Aqar to The Position Of Vice President of The Sovereignty Council (Aawsat). The head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, issued a decree today (Friday), relieving the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Lieutenant General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hamidti, from the position of Vice President of the Council, as of today… Al-Burhan also appointed a member of the council and leader of the “Sudan People’s Liberation Movement,” Malik Agar, to the position of deputy head of the Sovereignty Council.
2. More Than 1 Million People Displaced By Sudan Crisis, UN Says (Aljazeera). More than 1 million people have been displaced by five weeks of fighting in Sudan, including a quarter of a million refugees, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
3. Draft Statement Of The Arab Summit: An Emphasis On Preventing The Collapse Of The Sudanese State (Aawsat). Under the title “Supporting Peace and Development in the Republic of Sudan,” the draft closing statement of the Arab summit, which Asharq Al-Awsat obtained, stressed the importance of considering the crisis in Sudan an “internal Sudanese matter” and its emphasis on “preventing the collapse of the state and its institutions” and also supporting the communication mechanisms that have been reached. to it with Saudi-American efforts.
4. Egypt, Russia Hold High-level Consultations On Issues Of Mutual Concern (Egypt Independent). Assistant Foreign Minister for Multilateral Affairs and International Security Ehab Badawi has received Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin along with his accompanying delegation, currently on a visit to Cairo, to consult on the most critical issues of mutual concern in connection with global multilateral action.
5. Egypt, Eurasian Economic Commission Discuss Free Trade Agreement ( Daily News Egypt). Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir met with Andrey Slepnev, Minister of Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission. The meeting dealt with developing the free trade agreement negotiations between Egypt and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.

May 22, 2023

1. Sudan:  Army, RSF Agree to Seven-Day Ceasefire Following Talks in Jeddah (New Arab). Sudan’s warring factions have agreed to enact a seven-day ceasefire, US and Saudi officials confirmed in a statement late on Saturday following talks in Jeddah.
2. Renewed Bombing in Khartoum as Rapid Support Forces Say They Will Abide by the Ceasefire (Al Hadath). Hours after announcing the agreement on a 7-day cease-fire, Al-Arabiya sources reported the renewal of aerial bombardment in Khartoum today, Sunday. Simultaneously, an Al-Arabiya correspondent reported hearing explosions and heavy artillery in the south and center of Omdurman. For its part, the Rapid Support Forces announced today, Sunday, their “total” commitment, starting tomorrow evening, to the ceasefire agreement concluded with the Sudanese army in Jeddah, mediated by Saudi Arabia and the United States.
3. After Khartoum Objected To The Visit Of Dagalo’s Delegate… Juba Confirms Its Neutrality (Al Arabiya). On Friday, the South Sudanese government stressed that it plays a neutral role in stopping the fighting in Sudan after Khartoum protested against hosting an envoy from the Rapid Support Forces. In a statement published on Thursday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry announced that it had sent an “official protest note” to the Juba government to express its “strong protest and astonishment” at a visit made by one of the advisors to the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, “Hemedti” this week to South Sudan.
4. Omani Sultan’s Visit to Egypt Heralds New Era of Relations (Arab News). During the visit, the Omani-Egyptian Business forum would be organized “to showcase the investment potentials available in the Sultanate, the regulations and the basic structures attractive to investors in many areas, including renewable energy and green hydrogen.”
5. Morocco’s Economy to Benefit as EU Drops It from Money Laundering List (AlMonitor). Morocco’s removal from the European Union’s watchlist of countries under surveillance for money laundering and terrorist financing will benefit the country’s economy and facilitate capital flows in and out of the country, a global anti-money laundering expert has said.
6. Demolition of Italian-era Buildings in Benghazi Seen as Attack on City’s Heritage (Middle East Eye). The destruction of Italian colonial-era buildings in the old city of Benghazi in Libya has triggered warnings of the consequences for the city’s architectural heritage.
7. Tunisia’s Salvation Front Calls for Release of Political Detainees and Denies the Charge of Plotting Against the State (Aljazeera). On Saturday, the Tunisian opposition Salvation Front demanded the immediate release of all political detainees since mid-February in what is known as the case of conspiracy against state security.

May 23, 2023

1. UN Envoy to Sudan: Both Conflict Parties Have Breached Humanitarian Law (Al Arabiya). Volker Peretz, the UN Special Representative in Sudan, affirmed both conflict parties’ breaches of international humanitarian law, emphasizing that the army and rapid support leaders have it within their power to cease the violence…Peretz reported that the UN had received accounts of home and bank lootings and instances of enforced disappearances. In addition, he indicated that the conflict had incited tribal and ethnic tensions, particularly in Darfur.
2. Sudan War Threatens to Stop International Companies (Al Arabiya). Sudan accounts for about 70% of the global gum trade. Before the war, 5 million people lived on gum Arabic, the main ingredient in soft drinks and chewing gum. However, the gum prices in Sudan have fallen by half, and the foreigners who used to buy it have left the country.
3. Egyptian Court Refers Muslim Brotherhood Leader and 7 Others to Mufti for Execution Approval (The New Arab). The Egyptian Supreme State Security Criminal Court…referred the Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide, Muhammad Badi, and seven others to the Grand Mufti of the Republic for his legal opinion on their execution. This concerns the case commonly referred to as “Platform Events.”
4. Egypt Discusses Naval Cooperation With Saudi, Qatar (Middle East Monitor). The Commander of the Egyptian Naval Forces, Ashraf Atwa, discussed with his Saudi counterpart, Fahd Al-Ghofaily, and Qatari counterpart, Abdullah Hassan Al-Sulaiti, the improvement of military cooperation and support of capabilities in the military-naval field.

May 24, 2023

1. Egypt Races Against Time to Resolve Liquidity Dilemma Through Gulf Funds and IMF (Al Sharq Business). The region’s most populous nation is forging ahead with $2 billion worth of deals by the end of next June. This involves selling government assets from banks and power stations to a chain of military-owned petrol stations. The probable buyers are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE; each committed billions of dollars to assist Egypt.
2.  Tunisian Authorities are Investigating Ghannouchi in Nine Terrorism-Related Cases (Al Sharq Al Awsat). Sami Al-Tariqi, a member of the defense committee for Rashid Ghannouchi, head of the Tunisian Ennahda Movement, confirmed that the investigation with him revolves around nine cases, most of which are related to the terrorism file pending other cases, stressing the continued closure of the central headquarters of the Ennahda movement in the Tunisian capital for more than a month, without reaching to incriminating evidence against him, as he put it.
3. Al-Sisi Urges Financial Institutions to Reevaluate Lending Criteria and Conditions (Al Sharq Al Awsat). During the opening of the annual meetings of the African Development Bank in Sharm El-Sheikh on Tuesday, Al-Sisi addressed the escalating cost of borrowing, rising debt service burdens, and their negative impact on countries’ financial budgets … Egypt is anticipating the second installment of a $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund. However, it requires initial exchange rate flexibility and subsidy rationalization, which, if enforced, could heighten economic pressure.
4. Oman Plans to Inject $5bn Investments in Egypt (Daily News Egypt). The Oman Investment Authority, the sovereign arm of the Sultanate of Oman, is considering investing in Egypt following a high-ranking delegation from the Sultanate to Egypt headed by Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on his first visit to Egypt since assuming power.

May 25, 2023

1. Qatar Shifts Its Support to Egypt from Deposits to Investments (Al Sharq Business). Qatar has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering billions of dollars in pledged investments to economically struggling Egypt. However, it did not provide a timeline for these investments and emphasized that the era of aid has ended. Last March, the affluent gas-rich nation promised to supply $5 billion to the most populous country in the Arab world.
2. Egypt: Decade-Long Renaissance Dam Negotiations Yield No Success (The New Arab). In a statement released on Wednesday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed that “the Renaissance Dam negotiations have carried on for over ten years without success, devoid of any commitment or consideration by Ethiopia for the rights of the downstream countries.” The ministry urged Addis Ababa to “cease the biased reference to so-called colonial agreements, to detract from its legally signed obligations.”
3. Debate In Egypt Regarding Possible Rapprochement With Iran (Memri). Since the March 10, 2023, agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume their diplomatic relations, there have been signs that Egypt may follow the Saudi example and renew its ties with Iran. According to reports, talks are currently underway between the two countries, with Iraqi mediation, similar to the six rounds of Iraqi-brokered talks held by Saudi Arabia and Iran before the signing of the agreement between them… In addition, Egypt has also announced it will allow Iranian tourists to visit the country under certain conditions.

May 26, 2023

1. Tunisian Court Frees Radio Station Boss Held in Crackdown (New Arab). A Tunisian court on Wednesday decided to free, after more than three months’ detention, the head of the country’s most-listened-to radio station, whose release had been sought by the European Union.
2. Libya… “Positive” Atmosphere in the 6+6 Committee’s Consultations in Morocco and Expectations of Agreement on Election Laws (AlJazeera). A positive atmosphere prevails on the fourth day of the consultations of the committee in charge of the High Council of State in Libya and the House of Representatives to prepare electoral laws…The committee meeting in the city of Bouznika, south of Rabat, is expected to finish its work by agreeing on the electoral rules that Libya will witness, whether presidential or legislative.
3. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Meets UN’s Syria Envoy in Geneva (Syria TV). Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry said that “Egypt affirms its keenness to coordinate between the Arab Ministerial Committee on Syria and the United Nations, to resolve the crisis and alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.”
4. UN Monitors 25 Cases of Sexual Violence in Sudan and Calls for an End to “Absurd Violence” (Al Jazeera). The United Nations has monitored at least 25 cases of sexual violence in Sudan and has called on both sides of the fighting to stop the violence and protect civilians…UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said…the actual number was “likely to be much higher.”
5. Sudan is Among the World’s Most Indebted Countries (Al Arabiya).  Many countries worldwide seek to finance their expansionary expenditures or budgets through debt, as many countries have exacerbated the size of their obligations in an unprecedented way…Moreover, when comparing the size of the debt to the gross domestic product, the countries with the highest deficits in the world include an Arab country. Sudan’s debt to GDP is 182%, and total debt is $96 billion.

May 29, 2023

1. Saudi-American Statement: The Two Parties to the Conflict in Sudan Violated the Armistice, Obstructing the Arrival of Aid (Al Hadath). The statement pointed out that snipers were monitored in the areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces and that elements of the Sudanese army seized medical supplies in two facilities, stressing that Saudi Arabia and America called on the two parties to the conflict in Sudan to extend the armistice despite the lack of full compliance with it.
2. Standard Chartered Bank Warns of Egypt’s Inability to Pay its Debts (Arabi21). International reports continue to warn of the poor conditions of the Egyptian economy, which raises fears for the future of more than 105 million citizens who suffer because of what these reports and economists describe as the wrong policies of the government of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, by plunging the country into foreign debt…The last of these reports was issued last Thursday by Standard Chartered Bank, from the heart of the British capital, London, which warned of “difficult challenges” facing Egypt’s economy in the coming years, and that “time is running out” to save the Arab country located in northeastern Africa from its crises. with external debt.
3. Egyptian Government Revokes Pledges and Introduces New Taxes and Fees (The New Arab). The government of Egypt has taken steps ahead of parliament’s review of the 2023-2024 state budget by revising the stamp tax law. This alteration enables the government to hike taxes on goods and services by 20%…The Suez Canal Economic Zone issued a statement announcing the signing of investment contracts amounting to $487 million, with Chinese firms operating in the petrochemical, energy, and textile sectors. These contracts encompass several projects slated for construction in the Sokhna industrial zone. A power supply station, involving investments of $265 million, will be built.
4. Governor of Darfur Calls on Citizens to Take Up Arms to Protect Property (Al Hadath). The governor of the Darfur region in Sudan, Minni Arko Minawi, called on citizens to take up arms to protect their property. He added in a tweet, “The attacks on citizens have multiplied, so I call on all our honorable citizens, the people of Darfur, old and young, women and men, to take up arms to protect their property, and we, the struggle movements, will support them in all cases of defense”…He explained that citizens’ homes are threatened. The situation in El Geneina and Nyala is alarming, the government is absent, and looting and theft continue.

May 30, 2023

1. Head of Iraqi Wisdom Movement Meets with Egyptian President  (Iraqi News). The Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, received on Sunday the leader of the Iraqi Wisdom Movement, Ammar Al-Hakim, and they discussed The latest developments in the region, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Presidency.
2. (United Nations) Sudan Needs “urgent attention” in Terms of Hunger  (Swiss Info).  The United Nations confirmed Monday that the people of Haiti, the Sahel region, and Sudan need urgent attention from the international community because the threat of food insecurity in these countries is the most problematic in the world.
3. The Death Toll has risen to 866, and 30 Hospitals in Khartoum Are Out of Service (Al Arabiya).  The Sudanese Medical Association announced that the number of civilian deaths due to the fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has risen to 866, while 3,721 injuries have been recorded.

May 31, 2023

1. Egypt’s Sisi and Turkey’s Erdogan Agree to Reinstate Ambassadors (New Arab). Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on “the immediate start of upgrading diplomatic relations, exchanging ambassadors,” Egypt’s presidency said in a statement on Monday.
2. Al-Azhar Rejects Zionist Ambition to Change Status Quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque: Grand Imam to Palestinian PM (Ahram Online). El-Tayyeb made the remarks while meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayyeh during his official three-day visit to Egypt, Al-Azhar said in a statement. The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound is fully Islamic, El-Tayyeb said, affirming that any temporal and spatial division of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound will not be accepted.
3. Violent Clashes Break Out in Khartoum Hours After Truce Was Supposedly Extended (Al Arabiya). Despite the extension of the short truce on Monday evening, clashes have renewed on Tuesday between the military and the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan…The clashes came only hours since the truce was extended. On Monday evening, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced that representatives of the army and the Rapid Support Forces had agreed in Jeddah to extend the ceasefire for a period of 5 days.