Washington: The US, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt have put forward a roadmap aiming for peace in the conflict-ridden nation of Sudan. The proposal seeks to establish a permanent ceasefire and a shift to civilian-led governance.
According to Deutsche Welle, the four nations issued a joint statement on Friday, advocating for a three-month humanitarian truce in Sudan, which would be followed by a permanent ceasefire. The foreign ministers of these countries proposed a nine-month transitional process to usher in civilian rule in the northeast African nation, which is grappling with a deadly conflict.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has led to the deaths of tens of thousands, the displacement of millions, and has been labeled by the United Nations as one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. The meeting of the foreign ministers was initially set for July in Washington but faced delays due to disagreements between Egypt and the UAE.
The joint statement from the four countries emphasized that Sudan’s future governance should be determined by its people through an inclusive and transparent transition process, free from control by any warring faction. However, there was no immediate reaction from the Sudanese army or the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to this statement.
Egypt, a significant ally of Sudan’s regular army, has consistently called for the protection of state institutions. Meanwhile, the UAE has faced accusations from the army of backing the RSF, a charge the Gulf state has denied, though US lawmakers and experts find it credible.
The statement also reinforced the unity of Sudan, although it remains uncertain if the warring factions are open to engagement. Currently, the Sudanese army holds authority over the east, north, and center regions, whereas the RSF maintains control over most of the Darfur region, where it has announced a parallel government, raising concerns of a possible de-facto partition.
In June, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a weeklong ceasefire in El Fasher, North Darfur’s besieged capital. While the army agreed to this pause, the RSF did not. The joint international statement on Friday reiterated that there is no viable military solution to the conflict, and the current situation results in unacceptable suffering and threats to peace and security.
Additionally, the statement dismissed any involvement of “violent extremist groups part of or evidently linked to the Muslim Brotherhood” in the transition, referencing the Islamists who ruled Sudan for three decades until 2019 and have re-emerged during the war supporting the army.
On the same day, the US imposed sanctions on Sudanese Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, an Islamist, and the Baraa Ibn-Malik Brigade, an Islamist militia that has aligned with the army. The US Treasury Department stated that these sanctions are intended to limit Islamist influence within Sudan and reduce Iran’s regional activities, which have fueled regional instability, conflict, and civilian hardship.
