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December 1, 2020
An important event has recently marked the military relations between Egypt and Sudan, with the Egyptian National Organization for Military Production, affiliated to the Ministry of Military Production, and the Sudan Military Industry Corporation (MIC) signing a cooperation agreement for military industrialization on November 20.
The military cooperation agreement came on the sidelines of a visit by a Sudanese military delegation, led by the MIC Deputy Director General, Brig. General Mutasim Abdullah al-Hajj, on November 20 at the headquarters of the National Organization for Military Production and various military production companies in Egypt. The Sudanese delegation visited various departments of Military Factory 300, namely the small arms ammunition production and multi-machine gun manufacturing departments.
The Sudanese delegation also visited the Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) on November 20, which includes several factories of military products and manufacturers of other things, such as cars and wooden products.
During the visit, the head of the AOI, Lieutenant General Abdel Moneim al-Terras, said that “the organization is using all its technical and technological skills and knowledge to meet the needs of our African continent.”
Said “the discussion [with the visiting Sudanese delegation] focused on cooperation with Sudan and participation in all comprehensive development projects. This is in addition to the training of Sudanese cadres at the AOI training centers ”.
On August 19, Egypt’s Minister of State for Military Production, Mohamed Ahmed Morsi, had met in Cairo with the Director General of the MIC, Lieutenant General Mirghani Idris Suleiman and the delegation accompanying him. Among the latter were representatives of the main Sudanese companies operating in military industrialization.
The discussion at the August 19 meeting focused on ways to enhance joint cooperation between Egyptian military production companies and their Sudanese counterparts in a number of military and civil fields, with the aim of promoting a model of cooperation between the African countries and achieve partnership strategies that serve the interests of both parties.
Egypt has been interested for years in consolidating military relations with Sudan, especially in arms industrialization, and in promoting Egyptian military products in the Sudanese market. In February 2017, the former Egyptian Minister of Military Production, Major General Mohamed al-Assar, announced the opening of a permanent exhibition of the ministry’s military products in Khartoum.
Meanwhile, Sudan was willing to participate in the weapons exhibitions that were held in Egypt. Khartoum participated in the 2018 Egypt Defense Exhibition, named EDEX, in Cairo in December 2018.
Military cooperation between Egypt and Sudan is not limited to military industrialization. It also includes military training and exercises. On November 14, the air forces of Egypt and Sudan conducted joint exercises called Nile Eagles-1.
In addition, a high-ranking Egyptian military delegation, led by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Mohammed Farid Hegazy, visited Khartoum on October 31. After a meeting with his Sudanese counterpart, Mohamed Osman al-Hussein, Hegazy told a joint press conference that “the military relations of the two countries will reach a qualitative boom in the next period.”
In this context, Egypt’s Ministry of Military Production spokesman Mohamed Eid Bakr told Al-Monitor, “Egypt is interested in boosting relations with Sudan in various fields, including military industrialization. Cairo is interested in preserving Khartoum’s interests and strengthening its national security. “
Bakr added: “There will be future steps and meetings between Sudan and Egypt to activate the military industrialization cooperation agreement between the two countries.”
He added that “this [recent] The agreement includes cooperation in the field of military and non-military industries, as well as the benefit of the ministry’s military and non-military factories. “
Along the same lines, Major General Nasr Salem, advisor to the Nasser Higher Military Academy, said that “Egypt’s policy is to strengthen relations with Sudan by meeting its needs, especially in the military field.”
Salem told Al-Monitor: “The cooperation agreement will include the establishment of a joint production line for the manufacture of arms and ammunition between the two countries.”
He also said that “the agreement serves both countries, since it opens an arms market for Egypt in Sudan and therefore in Africa. That is what Cairo is looking for in its locally manufactured and exported arms plan, launched in February ”.
Minister Assar had announced in February a plan to manufacture weapons locally for a period of three years, under which military production companies would manufacture tanks, armored vehicles and communications equipment for the Egyptian army.
Salem added: “Sudan will benefit from the deal by locally manufacturing the weapons it needs and reducing the import of weapons.”
He noted that “Egypt is stepping up its steps to strengthen cooperation with Sudan, especially in military fields, in order to prevent any country targeting Cairo from exploiting Sudan and using it to threaten Egyptian national security, as it used to do. Turkey under the government of former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir “.
Sudan announced in 2017 the signing of a series of cooperation agreements in the military, security and defense sectors with Turkey during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Khartoum.
Salem added: “The military cooperation between Egypt and Sudan will have a positive impact on the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) problem, as the two countries will have common interests related to national security. That will ensure that they unify positions and interests, even in the GERD crisis ”.
He explained: “Sudan needs Egyptian weapons and will import them or benefit from Cairo’s expertise in arms and ammunition manufacturing. Egyptian weapons are cheap compared to the weapons Khartoum imports from Western countries and are tailored to the needs and capabilities of the Sudanese army. That is because the circumstances and the surrounding environment are similar for the armies of Sudan and Egypt.
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