DHAKA: Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi landed in Islamist neighbor Sudan for a lightning visit, which an analyst said would attempt to shore up a regional alliance against Islamic ‘terrorism’.

An AFP photographer at Khartoum airport confirmed the Egyptian leader’s plane had touched down and said Sisi, wearing a dark suit and sunglasses, left about two hours later, reports Turkish daily Hurriyet.

The official SUNA news agency said Sisi was ‘on a short visit’ for talks with Sudan president Omar al-Bashir.

‘The two presidents held talks at the Guest House on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern,’ SUNA said.

About 300 Islamists protested the visit outside a downtown Khartoum mosque, a witness said.

Sisi arrived a day after he told the African Union summit in Equatorial Guinea the continent must reinforce cooperation to face a ‘plague’ of cross-border terrorist groups.

He took a similar message to Algeria on Wednesday during his first foreign trip since his election in May.

‘Egypt, the Gulf countries and now Algeria – Egypt is trying to build a regional alliance to fight Islamic terrorism,’ University of Khartoum political scientist Safwat Fanous told media.

‘So they would like to see Sudan as part of this alliance in order to isolate Qatar and Turkey, who are... the main supporters of the (Muslim) Brotherhood Movement.’

Egypt jointly ruled Sudan with Britain until 1956.

BDST: 2130 HRS, JUNE 29, 2014