Sudanese civil forces conference

A reading of the file of the Sudanese Civil Forces Conference - Cairo: July 6, 2024

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Prepared by: Political Department - Arab Experts Center for Press Services and Public Opinion Studies.

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1/On Saturday, July 6, 2024, Cairo hosted a conference bringing together Sudan’s civilian parties to discuss stopping the war, addressing the humanitarian crisis, and preparing for the political path, in an event that observers considered a step to break the psychological barrier and build confidence between parties who will sit under one roof for the first time since the outbreak of war in their country about a year ago. 15 months

2/ According to the invitation letter, the conference is scheduled to listen during parallel sessions to the views of civil and political forces regarding the negative repercussions of the current conflict, ways to address it, and the nature of the needs required for those affected, as well as to shed light on the determinants of the Sudanese-Sudanese political dialogue.

3/ The conference call aimed to try to bring together a significant number of Sudanese political components, in an attempt to revive the Egyptian role in the Sudanese crisis. It is Egypt’s second attempt after its first initiative that it launched a year ago on July 13, 2023, which was called the Summit of Neighboring Countries, which did not bear fruit for long as it was launched in the middle of The scene was crowded with initiatives, including the Saudi-American initiative called the Jeddah Platform, the IGAD countries initiative, and the movements of the African Union.

4/ The Sudanese Civil Forces Conference did not receive sufficient international attention due to the preoccupation of the international community and its various administrations. The American elections are approaching, which means that the American administration is preoccupied internally, and temporary paralysis in its external roles, and the rise of the European right has become a concern for the stability of societies in which immigrants are considered. Africans and Muslims are a major component of it. As for the neighboring countries, led by Kenya, the political scene in them has become more inward-looking in light of the massive demonstrations that have disturbed the authorities, and Chad is also still preoccupied with the results of the recent elections that resulted in the victory of the Chadian president, Mohamed Deby Kaka, which It is expected that it will inflame the political and security situation. Ethiopia, despite its strong hostility to Egyptian influence in the regional environment, expressed its position through statements issued by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the eve of the Cairo meetings, and his saying that he stands at the same distance from everyone in a message of reassurance that appears to be... It aims to reduce the tension between him and Cairo in light of the escalation of the Egyptian media campaigns on the occasion of the approaching date. The fifth filling of the Renaissance Dam. In light of the Egyptian move in Somalia and its repercussions on regional equations...we are certain that the UAE and Saudi Arabia were strongly present in all the details of the conference, starting with the approval of its idea, passing through the list of attendees, and ending with the final statement. Cairo would not have decided on anything without their advice and would not have dared to... Doing what contradicts the directions of the two countries in the Sudanese scene.

5/ The invitation to the meeting was a mixture of political parties, armed movements, and political blocs such as the Civil Forces Coordination (Taqaddum), which is accused of supporting the Rapid Support Forces, or the National Charter Bloc, which is known for its support of the positions of the armed forces. An item of national figures was added without specifying clear criteria for this. Personalities: Some symbols were present, while other national figures with influence on the scene were absent. Symbols of civil society organizations and entities whose loyalty was deemed to be in favor of the Coordination of Progress were also invited. No official invitation was presented to the Sudanese government, despite the high-level participation of figures at the level of the Vice President of the Sovereignty Council and the Minister of Finance. And the ruler of Darfur, but the invitation extended to them was based on their groups and entities represented by the Democratic Forces Bloc. Perhaps it is important in this context to point out that not inviting any of the factions of political Islam, even those who fall under the coordination banner of progress such as the group of Dr. Ali Al-Hajj, the organizer of the conference. Popular, and it seems that Egypt's sensitivity towards the Islamists, and of course the UAE and Saudi Arabia, never paved the way for inviting them to participate in the conference.

6/ The agenda proposed by the Egyptian mediators came in the form of three general headings: (Stopping the war - Relief and humanitarian work - The political track)... With this circular, Cairo had also previously announced the features of its general vision for resolving the Sudanese crisis, which was confirmed by Mr. D. . Badr Abdel Ati, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration, and Egyptian Expatriate Affairs, in his speech before the conference, includes reaching a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire, preserving the national state institutions in Sudan, emphasizing that the crisis in Sudan is an internal matter, respecting the will of the Sudanese people, not allowing external interference, and the necessity of... Coordinating with neighboring countries to address the humanitarian repercussions, and calling on relief agencies and donor countries to provide the necessary support to neighboring countries.

7/ One of the advantages of the conference is that it brought together the Sudanese civilian parties for the first time since the outbreak of the war, and despite the success in principle, it became clear from the first moments that Cairo does not have a specific plan for managing the Sudanese disputes or does not care about that, as if what matters to it is demonstrating the ability to bring the parties together under one roof. One, at a time when military battles are raging and political distances are growing between Sudanese forces,

8/ The disparity and fragmentation between the parties was confirmed by the general atmosphere of the conference, where tension dominated the Sudanese parties, and government officials, including the Vice President of the Sovereignty Council, Malik Aqar, the Minister of Finance, Jibril Ibrahim, and the Governor of Darfur, Minni Arko Minawi, refused to hold a direct meeting with former Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok and the Coordination of Democratic Forces. The Sudanese Civil Society “progressed”, which confirms that the organizing body did not succeed in securing the minimum conditions for participation... The extreme discrepancy and fragmentation almost destroyed the idea of ​​continuing the conference... which prompted the organizing bodies to cancel the paragraph