Al-Burhan Sends ‘Rescue’ Delegation to Egypt in New Political Maneuver

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The Sudanese government, aligned with the military, announced on Sunday that it has decided to send a delegation to Cairo to discuss the “implementation of the Jeddah Agreement” aimed at mitigating the impact of the fierce war with the Rapid Support Forces that has been ongoing for 16 months. Meanwhile, other negotiations are continuing in Geneva under U.S. sponsorship, in a move that reveals the army’s continued maneuvering after being blamed for derailing negotiations amid the worsening situation in the country due to the war.

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The Transitional Sovereignty Council stated in a communiqué that “following contact with the U.S. government represented by U.S. envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello, and contact from the Egyptian government, the government will send a delegation to Cairo.”

The council clarified in its statement that the visit of the Sudanese government delegation aims to “discuss the government’s vision for implementing the Jeddah Agreement.” The statement did not specify the date of the visit.

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Observers of Sudanese affairs believe that Al-Burhan‘s resort to sending a delegation to Cairo while negotiations are ongoing in Geneva is an example of the army leader’s manipulation of the international community and reflects the ongoing debate surrounding all the maneuvers related to the Geneva negotiations.

They also believe that Al-Burhan fears opposition from his Islamist allies who do not want to participate in the negotiations, as his fate is tied to remnants of the former regime, who have no interest in achieving security and stability.

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The two conflicting parties have previously held rounds of talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah, during which it was agreed to respect humanitarian principles and allow the much-needed aid to enter, without achieving a serious breakthrough or agreeing on a sustainable ceasefire.

Before participating in any new negotiations to end the war in the country, the Sudanese government insists on implementing the “Jeddah Declaration,” issued in May 2023, at the conclusion of talks hosted in Jeddah between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

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The Sudanese government fabricates various pretexts to obstruct peace talks, particularly by refusing the involvement of new mediators in the negotiations, other than the sponsors of the Jeddah talks, the United States and Saudi Arabia.

This decision comes as talks continue in Switzerland, at the invitation of the United States, aiming to achieve a ceasefire between the army and the Rapid Support Forces in the war that erupted last year.

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While the Rapid Support Forces accepted the invitation to participate in the discussions, the Sudanese authorities, led by Sovereignty Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, have abstained from attending, after expressing reservations about the mechanism and expressing differences with the United States regarding the participants.

Representatives of the Rapid Support Forces attended the negotiations that began in Geneva on  August 14, while representatives of the army were contacted by phone, according to Tom Perriello.

Despite the lack of direct army participation in the Geneva talks, Perriello believes that the discussions achieved some success, by drawing international attention to Sudan at a time when “the world was turning its attention away.”

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The Rapid Support Forces in Sudan agreed to cooperate in the delivery of humanitarian aid after the Sudanese government decided to open a major border crossing with Chad, according to the announcement by the sponsors of the Swiss talks on Saturday.

The United States is leading the discussions in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the African Union, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations.

In a joint statement, the five countries, along with the United Nations and the African Union, welcomed the decision to open the Adré border crossing between Chad and North Darfur for the next three months.

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The statement, released by the Emirati news agency, added: “We welcome the commitment of the Rapid Support Forces to cooperate with aid transportation operations, especially through the vital Daba route to Darfur and Kordofan, and to protect humanitarian workers in their mission.”

The statement adds that “these constructive decisions by both parties will allow access to the necessary aid to prevent famine, address food insecurity, and respond to the immense humanitarian needs in Darfur and beyond.”

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The statement emphasized that “it is incumbent on the parties to communicate and coordinate immediately with humanitarian partners to activate these corridors effectively to ensure sustained and unhindered access to aid,” and the signatories of the statement urged “the international community and humanitarian organizations to seize this opportunity to deliver aid and save lives, especially the most vulnerable.”

The closure of the Adré crossing had raised concerns among humanitarian organizations facing difficulties in transporting food and supplies to the Darfur region in Sudan.

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Fighting broke out in mid-April 2023 between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is also president of the Sovereignty Council and de facto ruler of the country, and the Rapid Support Forces led by his former ally and deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The war has escalated, leading to tens of thousands of deaths and a major humanitarian crisis, while the United Nations, NGOs, and the International Committee of the Red Cross have denounced the obstacles hindering humanitarian work.