Burhan, EU envoy discuss regional role in ending Sudan conflict
December 1, 2024 (PORT SUDAN) — Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, chairman of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council, met Sunday with the European Union envoy to the Horn of Africa to discuss the ongoing conflict in the country and the potential for regional intervention.
Annette Weber, the EU envoy, met with al-Burhan in Port Sudan, the temporary headquarters of Sudan’s government. Fighting has ravaged the country since April 15, 2023, when clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis.
According to a statement from the Sovereign Council, the meeting emphasized the need for regional actors to play a more significant role in resolving the crisis, complementing international efforts.
According to the Sovereign Council, Weber said that the EU wants Sudanese citizens to return to their homes and resume their normal lives. She stressed the EU’s commitment to ending the conflict to facilitate the delivery of aid, the reopening of schools, and the resumption of hospital services.
Sudan’s ambassador to Brussels, Abd al-Baqi Kabir, who attended the meeting, said al-Burhan reiterated Sudan’s rejection of the RSF and its presence in civilian areas. Al-Burhan insisted the RSF must withdraw from occupied homes and civilian infrastructure, in line with the Jeddah Declaration signed on May 11, 2023.
Kabir quoted al-Burhan as saying that if the EU wants to help end the war, it should leverage its influence to pressure those supporting the RSF, arguing that cutting off political and logistical support is crucial.
“As long as there is external support for the militia, the war will continue until the country is cleansed of this criminal group,” al-Burhan said, according to Kabir.
Al-Burhan has consistently rejected negotiations with the RSF, proposing instead that its forces gather in designated locations for the Sudanese people to determine their fate.