Cairo's Efforts to Stop the War in Sudan Before Geneva – The Face of Truth – ✍️ Ibrahim Shaqlawi
As we know, the Egyptian government began to address the issue of settling the conflict in Sudan from the beginning of the war, in mid-April last year. These efforts began with a meeting of Sudan's neighboring countries, which presented the first regional initiatives in June. of last year. And before that, a meeting of the foreign ministers of the League of Arab States in May of the same year stressed that what is happening in Sudan is an internal issue and also stressed the unity of the Sudanese state. and the legitimacy of the current government led by the army and represented by the head of state, General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan… This is the political and security weight of the Egyptian state in the war in Sudan, which began very early. This was also evident in the speech of his Foreign Minister, Dr. Badr Abdel Ati, at the conference of political and civil forces held in early July, which called for an immediate ceasefire and the need for a humanitarian response from the country. He also stressed the importance of reaching a comprehensive political solution with the participation of all Sudanese parties without excluding anyone. He also stressed the unity of the Sudanese Armed Forces, which he said is of great importance as proven by the international community. the current evolution of the role of this institution in protecting Sudan and preserving the security of its lands and citizens in the face of any threat to this security, whatever the source.
Egypt's success in bringing together the Sudanese parties at this meeting laid the foundation for a new phase of serious efforts to end the war… and perhaps its success in reaching a near consensus on the issues of this conference, the most important of which is the participation of all Sudanese political parties and entities in any future political solution without excluding anyone, in addition to endorsing the principle of internal Sudanese dialogue, in addition to the importance of establishing a government of national competences to manage the aftermath of the war, all this has made Egypt the country closest to understanding the nature of the Sudanese interior with its various complexities.
In the middle of last week, the US State Department and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were invited to host a conference in the Swiss capital, Geneva… between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the rebel Rapid Support Forces. . although the nature of the invitation and the way it was presented have caused much controversy in the Sudanese political scene in terms of its form, the invitation was supposed to be addressed to the government of Sudan, because it is the government that represents the Sudanese people, and not to the military institution, which is considered one of the components of the Sudanese state.
Furthermore, in terms of content, the invitation included a reference to the participation of Egypt, the African Union and the United Arab Emirates as observers. This is what made the invitation appear as a fait accompli that deserves alarm. despite Sudan's reservations about the participation of the United Arab Emirates and the African Union, which has been suspending Sudan's membership for two and a half years on the pretext that there was a coup d'état. The army is against civilian rule in the country.
This is what prompted some observers and public opinion leaders to protest the method of sending the invitation and the participation of the UAE in the negotiations before completing the Ethiopian mediation stage, which apparently bridged the gap between Khartoum and Abu Dhabi and culminated in a transparent and frank phone call between the presidents of the two countries… which in its entirety carried the promise that the UAE would stop supporting the rebel forces… and would help the Sudanese people achieve security and stability and end the war.
Therefore, observers warned the Sudanese leadership to obtain sufficient guarantees from the United Arab Emirates so that it does not issue a certificate of free acquittal for war crimes and crimes against humanity that have been proven to have been committed, according to international human rights organizations, by the rebels. The Rapid Support Forces in a number of Sudanese states also said that the state leadership should calculate its measures well and know that what was agreed with these forces in Jeddah leaves no loophole to escape its implementation. pay attention to any premeditated effort that could contribute to the failure of this agreement.
On the other hand, the special envoy for Sudan, Tom Yariello, announced yesterday at a press conference in Addis Ababa that the participation of the United Arab Emirates gives the upcoming negotiations a better opportunity for a real and feasible peace agreement. meant to refer to the possible commitments that the United Arab Emirates would make after the war ends. He also said: The army should take seriously the invitation to the Geneva negotiations in Switzerland … and that it hopes to get an official confirmation from them soon. … He also said that he had contacted the commander of the rapid support and that he had obtained his agreement to participate in the negotiations … However, this conversation is only important according to observers … needs sufficient guarantees from the other parties that have credibility with the Sudanese government … in order to make it accept the American invitation to participate in these discussions … and they unanimously agreed that Egypt is qualified to play this important role.
It seems that the political and diplomatic movements taking place in Khartoum and Cairo indicate that there is an attempt to reshape the political scene in Sudan and that the future of the country may depend on the results of these meetings and the upcoming meetings in Cairo. the station that will witness important developments before the Geneva negotiations are held. In Switzerland, where the President of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed and the President of Chad Mohammed Idriss Deby are currently present… where he announced an upcoming summit in the Egyptian city of El Alamein, according to the news, in which the Sudanese issue is expected to be present… which raises many questions: Is Egypt working to find guarantees from the two presidents regarding Sudan… and to what extent are these guarantees linked to Sudan's agreement to go to Switzerland? Will the meeting expand and include Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and perhaps President Al-Burhan?
This movement taking place in Cairo could be aimed at reorganizing the Sudanese scene, which was preceded earlier this week by President Al-Burhan's invitation to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, President Museveni and President Isaias Afwerki to Port Sudan… coinciding with the visit of Ibn Zayed and Mohamed Kaka to Cairo, which he announced would last for several days… according to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram.
It is clear that Cairo is organizing the Swiss discussions through what emerges from the immediate and future shuttle movements in the coming days before the negotiations, which promise to be full of tension and suspense, as the Swiss file will be present in all its details. Therefore, some observers suggest the possibility that Cairo will precede the Geneva negotiations on the Sudanese crisis, and there is a possibility among the agreements between the presidents and the regional parties, which would facilitate the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement on the basis of the Jeddah agreement. President Salva Kiir is expected to arrive in Khartoum or Cairo. All the more so since there is talk of the commitment of the State of South Sudan to establish camps that should accommodate the gathering of the rapid support rebel forces, in application of the security provisions clause according to the terms. to the Jeddah agreement.
However, we must always remember that the ultimate goal is to achieve peace and stability in Sudan, bring citizens back to their homes and homelands, and restore peace and security as well as the regional environment, regardless of which country plays a role. To achieve this, all parties must cooperate in a spirit of friendship and mutual respect to ensure a brighter and safer future for all. Ultimately, we must all work to build a better and more stable world for future generations. Neighboring countries must provide support and assistance to Sudan to achieve peace and development, and ensure that no external party interferes in the country's internal affairs. The Sudanese therefore hope that Cairo's efforts to end the war in Sudan will be crowned with success. crowned with its continued efforts and the great trust and credibility it enjoys among the Sudanese. This will happen before going to Geneva.. or at least until going to Geneva is only to establish implementation mechanisms and sign the agreement to stop the war.
May you always be well..
