Omar Siddiq … Thorny file diplomacy – The face of truth – ✍️ Ibrahim Shaqlawi
In a decision that reflects specific accounts of the current scene, the first team, Abdel Fattah Al -Burhan, president of the sovereign council, approved the assignment of ambassador Omar Mohamed Ahmed Siddiq as Minister of Foreign Affairs. This decision was made in an important step in unprecedented political and security complications. Sudanese diplomacy has been placed in front of difficult tests that require high experience and sensitivity to reading the interior and foreign sales. In this article, we try to reveal the potential reasons that have brought the man to this file at the moment.
Ambassador Omar is one of the most eminent leaders in the Sudanese diplomatic corps. His choice did not seem to be by coincidence, but rather came – probably – in a vision aimed at using the balance of his long experience in the processing of complex regional and international files confronted with Sudan, in particular the light of the current political crisis. He is also attached to the upcoming negotiation phase that the Sudanese government intends to conclude the political scene in preparing for peace.
The name of the ambassador Omar Siddiq was not absent from the scene in the last periods, when he emerged during the Jeddah talks in October 2023 between the Sudanese government and the rapid support militia, where he was part of the official delegation, before his participation faced an objection by the rebels which announced his desire to negotiate only the army, Negotiate with government representatives. Despite its subsequent withdrawal from the official dialogue table, its presence has remained standing as an expert and follower, indicating its continuous scenes, which can reflect the extent of the confidence of political leadership in its ability to manage thorny negotiation files.
The international context in which the appointment of Omar Siddiq shows the size of the challenges before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Isolation imposed on Khartoum of certain parts and speaking of the legitimacy of power, calls for diplomacy with efficiency, flexibility and ability to approach the international community with a coherent vision. The sensitivity of the position is that Sudan is confronted today with the need to restore its relations with the United Nations, the African Union and the endowment, a task which requires a professional diplomatic effort capable of overcoming the accumulations of recent years.
In the midst of these challenges, the first public diplomatic communication emerged after the appointment, in contact with the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Badr Abdel -Ai, Minister Omar Siddiq, in a decision that some interpreted as an Egyptian confirmation to stabilize his influence in the area of Sudane. This communication comes in the Context of Talking about Egypt’s intention to organize A Second Political Conference for Sudanese Civil Forces, which Adds a Regional Dimension to the Tasks of the New Minister, and also Received A Congratulatory Message from Mahmoud Ali, Head of the African Union Commission, in a positive sign that confirms the support of the For Sudan, in Light of the Intessification of Competition Between Active Regional Axes, and the multiplicity of external bets over the future of the situation in Sudan.
It remains too early to judge the extent of the ability of a friend to maneuver between these axes, especially since each rapprochement with a regional party can be wary of other parties, which makes its political and diplomatic position a real mine. The greatest challenge before him will be to persuade the international community of the question of justice of the Sudanese issue and the conviction of regional parties supporting the rebellion, as well as the adoption of a new approach to the possible negotiation which has started to speak in a certain number of regional and international departments. The success of a friend depends on his ability to present a new story in all files, expressing reality and at the same time reflects the efforts of reform, peace and the desire to withdraw from the crisis.
If Omar Siddiq is able to use his balance in international forums to open up to active communication channels with the West, and he has managed to make tangible progress in humanitarian aid files and dismantle isolation, he could become one of the most eminent foreign ministers in this case, and this could go up in the future. The equation is very difficult, because what is necessary is a balance between a sovereign discourse which does not abandon the independence of the national decision and a realistic diplomacy which opens to the world without eliminating anyone. At the heart of this equation, internal considerations must be taken into account: “the will of the Sudanese”, which has become influential in all equations.
According to what we see from the face of the truth: it is clear that the Sudanese direction is aware of the importance of a diplomatic choice with the specifications of Omar Siddiq at this critical moment. It is not only an ambassador to return from abroad, but a person who has a long history in understanding the language of interests and balances. But the bet on this subject goes beyond the experiences of his experiences, to his ability to transform these experiences into realistic political achievements that open up to the new windows from Sudan to the world. The coming weeks will be revealing; Either this appointment is translated by an active decision which retains the image of Sudan on the diplomatic card, or that the files remain blocked, and the challenges are greater than the capacities.
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