Cairo discussions on Sudan stall amidst division over condemning RSF abuses
June 6, 2024 (CAIRO) – Sudanese political forces participating in the Cairo conference expressed support for ending the war, but leaders of movements supporting the army refused to sign the final statement. They cited the lack of explicit condemnation of human rights violations committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) against civilians.
The Egyptian government organized the conference on Saturday aiming at uniting Sudanese political forces and garnering support for resolving the conflict, but disagreements between them overshadowed the proceedings.
The final statement announced the formation of a committee to continue discussions and pursue lasting peace. It emphasized preserving Sudan as a unified nation based on citizenship and a federal, democratic, civil state.
Further, participants agreed on the need to stop the fighting and avoid repeating past mistakes that led to failed transitions. Discussions at the conference focused on “the need for an immediate cessation of war, including mechanisms, means, and monitoring of a permanent ceasefire and cessation of hostilities.”
However, the statement was confined to condemning “all violations committed in the war” without mentioning the paramilitary forces which are accused by human rights organizations of committing crimes against humanity, war crimes, killings of civilians, rape, and looting.
Leaders of the army’s allied movements such as Minni Minawi (Sudan Liberation Movement), Gibril Ibrahim (Justice and Equality Movement), and Malik Agar (SPLM-N Revolutionary Front) refused to sign the final statement due to its lack of explicit condemnation of the RSF.
Minawi expressed his disappointment on the X platform, thanking Egypt for facilitating the meeting but criticizing the statement for not adequately addressing the suffering of victims.
“Thank you to Egypt, which provided the Sudanese with the opportunity to meet after concessions, thinking that the conference would come out with sympathy for the victims by issuing a condemnation of the Rapid Support Forces’ practices, but the final statement disappointed the Sudanese, especially the victims. Therefore, we are not concerned with a statement that does not carry sympathy for the people” he wrote.
Ga’afar Mohamed Osman al-Mirghani, a leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and chairman of the pro-military Democratic Bloc signed the final communiqué. But, he issued a statement saying that the text failed to explicitly address his condemnation of the rebel attacks on the city of Sinjah, the cities sheltering IDPs, and the atrocities committed in Darfur.
Pointing to the role of external actors in the conflict, The statement called upon countries and entities supporting the warring parties, either directly or indirectly, to stop fuelling the war in Sudan.
On the humanitarian front, the meeting participants agreed on the importance of delivering aid to save the lives of millions of Sudanese, calling for the protection of humanitarian workers and ensuring they are not exposed to danger or persecution by the warring parties.
In his opening speech, the new Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel-Atti, stressed that any political process aimed at resolving the Sudanese crisis must respect Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and non-interference in its internal affairs.
He also emphasized the need to preserve the state and its institutions, highlighting the importance of “the unity of the Sudanese Armed Forces for its role in protecting Sudan and ensuring the safety of its citizens.”
The meeting was attended by former Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, Tagadum leader and several tenors of the civilian forces coalition such as Fadlallah Burma, Babikir Fasial, Hadi Idris and Tahir Hajar.
(ST)