The communiqué from regional mediators in East Africa, which purported that army head General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had consented to a truce and political talks to terminate hostilities, was rejected by Sudan’s foreign ministry.
According to the UN, the landlocked country has seen eight months of brutal combat between opposing factions, which has resulted in over 12,190 deaths and 6.6 million displaced persons.
Following a session in Djibouti the previous day, the East African alliance mediating the war, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), declared on Sunday that the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) had pledged to “an unconditional ceasefire.”
Additionally, according to an IGAD statement, General Burhan consented to a “one-on-one meeting” with General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also referred to as Hemedti, who is in charge of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to the bloc, General Dagalo, the head of the paramilitary forces, also agreed to a plan to negotiate a settlement with his adversary, General Burhan.
Hemedti stated on Monday that the RSF is prepared to work with the IGAD to put an end to the crisis and supports the summit’s conclusions. He clarified, nevertheless, that General Burhan’s attendance in his capacity as president of the transitional government would not be permitted if the proposed meeting was approved.
On Sunday, however, the Sudanese foreign ministry stated—citing contradictions and errors—that it did not accept the IGAD statement.
The ministry was described by Reuters as claiming that it had written notes but left them out of the statement that was made public. Specifically, the ministry stated that the army chief’s meeting with General Dagalo was subject to a permanent truce and the removal of RSF troops from Khartoum, the capital.
The army-aligned ministry stated in a statement cited by Sudanese broadcaster Radio Dabanga that the IGAD summit communiqué “was not based on consensus, nor was it legally binding.”
It further stated that the protests by the Sudanese government against Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, attending the meeting “were not included.”
On Sunday, Sudan ordered 15 employees of the UAE embassy to leave the country within 48 hours after declaring them persona non grata. The action was taken in response to reports that on Saturday, three Sudanese diplomats were expelled from Abu Dhabi by the Emirati administration.
General Yassir al-Atta, a senior Sudanese army official, charged late last month that the UAE was arming the RSF to combat the country’s armed forces.
The claims have been refuted by Abu Dhabi. The UAE has “consistently called for de-escalation, a ceasefire, and the initiation of diplomatic dialogue” in Sudan since the war began, according to one of its officials, who was cited by Reuters.
