On Monday, Egypt and the United States (US) announced separate efforts aimed at ending the persistent conflict in Sudan, which as of this week is entering its third month.
The strife in Sudan has been unrelenting since the middle of April, marked by intermittent ceasefires between the Transitional Sovereignty Council, led by the country’s effective leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, under the command of Mohamed Dagalo, also known as Hemeti.
A spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency Counselor Ahmed Fahmy shared that Egypt is set to host a summit on July 13. This gathering will bring together countries neighboring Sudan to discuss potential pathways for resolving the country’s existing crisis.
The spokesperson highlighted that the goal of the summit is to establish proactive mechanisms. These will work in collaboration with Sudan’s neighboring countries to peacefully navigate the crisis while harmonizing with other regional and international endeavors aiming to resolve the dispute.
The summit aligns with the Egyptian President’s determination to act toward resolving the crisis and cease the Sudanese bloodshed. Furthermore, it aims to protect them from the negative effects they have been enduring, and to curb the severe implications of the crisis on neighboring countries and regional stability as a whole.
Since the conflict’s inception in mid-April, Egypt, Sudan’s northern neighbor, has welcomed over 200,000 Sudanese. They form part of the 700,000 people who have sought refuge in neighboring countries. Moreover, over 2.2 million individuals have been internally displaced, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations.
Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, has previously affirmed Egypt’s willingness to mediate and play a constructive role in restoring stability in Sudan. However, he concurrently emphasized that the happenings in Sudan are internal matters, affirming Egypt’s stance of non-intervention in other countries affairs.
Sudan’s warring factions have time and again agreed to temporary ceasefires brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia. These truces, however, have regularly been breached, leading Washington and Riyadh to declare a suspension of the peace dialogues last June. These talks were held in Jeddah and involved the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces.
