‘Sudan detains Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader’

Sudanese security forces reportedly held a prominent leader of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood on Monday.

According to the Egyptian newspaper El Dostor, the detained Muslim leader is Mohamed El Ageed, the brother of the bodyguard of former Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi.

El Ageed fled to Sudan after the Egyptian authorities dispersed a peaceful sit-in of thousands of supporters of Islamist President Mursi near the Rabaa El Adawiya mosque in Cairo in August 2013. Security forces violently evacuated the area, resulting in more than 600 deaths.

According to the sources, the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) gave the Muslim Brother leader months to leave the Sudanese territory to any country. Else he would be detained and deported to Egypt.

However, when he attempted to leave Sudan for Turkey on Monday, Sudanese NISS officers arrested him, in coordination with Egyptian intelligence. His family has been put under house arrest.

El Ageed owned a company in Sudan known as Nukhbat El Umma [Elites of the Muslim Nation] that provided workshops on investment in Sudan, human resources, and leadership. He was also working on the “Development of Islamic Thought”, El Dostor reported on Tuesday.

Relations

Egypt and Sudan have been at odds for years on a range of issues, from the ownership of the Halayeb Triangle border area, the impact of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to trade restrictions and burdensome visa requirements.

In addition, the two parties allegedly support different groups among Libya's warring factions. In May last year, Sudan accused Egypt of supporting rebel forces in Darfur.

Egypt has also repeatedly accused Sudan of supporting the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group. Tensions increased in particular after Sudan hosted Muslim Brotherhood members who escaped Egypt after the Rabaa El Alawaya massacre. In February 2017, Khartoum reportedly expelled dozens of Egyptian Islamists in a bid to improve the relations with Cairo.

Things further deteriorated in December last year when Turkish President Recep Erdogan paid a two-day visit to Sudan, during which Khartoum allowed Ankara to rehabilitate Suakin on the Red Sea and use it as a military station.

Yet, relations seemed to have significantly improved after Al Sisi’s visit to Khartoum in July this year. Both parties vowed to set differences aside, bolster relations, and boost economic cooperation. However, “There is still a long way to go to advance relations to the desired level,” Al Sisi told the press in Khartoum at the end of his visit. He announced plans to visit Sudan again in October.