Egypt and Sudan concluded the largest drill between their armies, amid tensions with Ethiopia over its construction and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River.
Tensions are also high between Sudan and Ethiopia over a border dispute.
Sudanese Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Mohammed Osman Al Hussein reiterated that the “Guardians of the Nile” joint military training holds no message against others.
Egyptian Chief of Staff Gen. Mohammed Farid said the exercises, held in Sudan's Um Siyala region, were conducted amid “challenges and threats and the possibility of their escalation”.
Al Hussein said: “They are not meant to target anyone in specific, as long as our national security is unharmed.”
“They were aimed at realizing harmony and entrenching [military] doctrines so that they can be a deterrent to enemies and deal with both expected and potential threats,” he added.
The two officials have stressed continuous cooperation to serve the best interest of both countries.
Egypt and Sudan have held several joint drills in recent months amid mounting tensions in the region.
