US president’s advisor, Egyptian officials discuss deepening political turmoil in Libya, Sudan

Senior Advisor to US President Donald Trump on African Affairs Massad Boulos has recently held high-level talks in Cairo with Egypt’s Intelligence Chief, Major General Hassan Rashad, focusing on the escalating political and security crises in Libya and Sudan. 

Boulos and Rashad focused specifically on the situation in Tripoli, Libya's capital, and strategies to manage the ongoing armed clashes between rival factions, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media. 

Both officials highlighted the critical need for a comprehensive political solution to restore stability in Libya. 

They emphasised the importance of fostering internal Libyan dialogue, uniting fragmented institutions, and rejecting foreign interference that could worsen existing divisions or fuel further violence. Boulos's visit comes amid rising Egyptian concerns about the growing instability in western Libya. Undisciplined militias and fractured state institutions in the region are seen as direct threats to Egypt’s national security interests.

In addition to Libya, the two leaders also discussed the deteriorating humanitarian and military situation in Sudan, where the crisis continues to worsen. Boulos and Rashad called for an inclusive political process aimed at ending the violence and rebuilding Sudanese institutions in line with the aspirations of the Sudanese people for peace and stability. General Rashad reaffirmed Egypt’s commitment to preserving Sudan's territorial integrity and preventing it from becoming a battleground for broader regional or international conflicts. He underscored the importance of close coordination with the US to manage and resolve the crisis. Boulos’s trip is part of a broader US strategy to engage more deeply with key regional partners. 

Diplomatic sources noted that the Trump administration views Egypt as a crucial ally in formulating joint strategies to address instability across Africa and the Middle East, including in Libya, Sudan, Gaza, and the Horn of Africa. The discussions in Cairo also come amid reports that the US has been considering a proposal to permanently resettle up to one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya. The proposal includes unfreezing Libyan assets in exchange for Libya accepting displaced Gazans. However, the US embassy in Tripoli quickly dismissed these reports, calling them "untrue," while Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Unity has yet to comment. 

Boulos, a Lebanese-American businessman appointed by the Trump administration in April as the State Department’s Senior Advisor for Africa, previously visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda, where he met with leaders and business figures to promote US private sector investment and support peace initiatives in the DRC. A prominent figure in both business and diplomacy, Boulos is also a key emissary to Arab-American communities. His son, Michael Boulos, is married to Tiffany Trump, the daughter of President Trump, who gave birth to a child last week.

By Naila Huseynova