Egyptian president urges Sudanese to talk as he denies backing coup

People march during a protest to denounce the October 2021 military coup, in Khartoum, Sudan (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has urged rival factions in Sudan to engage in talks to move forward in their transition to democracy after a coup toppled the civilian-led government.

The October 25 military takeover has upended Sudan’s plans to move to democracy after three decades of repression and international sanctions under autocrat Omar al-Bashir.