Egypt relinquishes plans to hold meeting on Sudan’s crisis

January 14, 2023 (KHARTOUM) – Egypt has relinquished plans to hold a meeting in Cairo between the signatories of the framework agreement and the non-signatories, Sudan Tribune learnt on Saturday.

The head of the Egyptian intelligence service Abbas Kamel was in Khartoum on January 2, where he discussed their plan to bring the Sudanese political forces together to agree on a roadmap to end the political crisis caused by the coup of October 2021.

But the signatories were not enthusiastic saying it was too late as they have already launched the final phase and called on Cairo to press two holdout groups to join them.

“Egypt changed its position, and this is a positive development towards the completion of the final phase of the political process,” a senior Sudanese politician told Sudan Tribune on Saturday under the cover of anonymity.

The political leader whose party is one of the signatories stressed that Egypt supports the framework agreement and the ongoing political process in Sudan.

Amani Al Taweel an Egyptian expert on Sudanese affairs stated on January 10, that her country mainly wants to ensure the unity of the divided Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani.

The two sons of the old and sick DUP leader are divided, one is supporting the framework agreement and the other is opposed and joined the non-signatories.

Al Taweel who is a senior researcher in a government centre stressed that the current process would deepen divisions of their historical political ally and weaken its weight after the elections.

After the collapse of the former regime in April 2019, Cairo played the card of the military component and backed the coup.

In addition, Egypt declined calls to join the Quad which was set up by the U.S. to press the military to restore a civilian government in Sudan after the coup.

(ST)