{"id":20067057,"date":"2024-01-12T18:00:57","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T17:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20067057"},"modified":"2024-01-12T18:01:01","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T17:01:01","slug":"no-diplomatic-end-to-sudans-war-in-sight-warns-suliman-baldo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/no-diplomatic-end-to-sudans-war-in-sight-warns-suliman-baldo","title":{"rendered":"\u2018No diplomatic end to Sudan\u2019s war in sight,\u2019 warns Suliman Baldo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As the war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) soon enters its ninth month, there remains no tangible end in sight to the widespread suffering endured by the country and its people. That is despite a flurry of diplomatic mediation efforts, says prominent Sudanese researcher Suliman Baldo.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his analysis \u2018Sudan\u2019s Interminable War<\/a>, published by the International Centre for Dialogue Initiatives on Tuesday, conflict resolution expert Suliman Baldo* observes that while both the SAF and the RSF \u201cinitially believed they would crush the other in days\u201d, the conflict has dragged on into \u201cmultiple localised ethnically driven clashes beyond either party\u2019s control\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the ground, the RSF has succeeded in expanding its territorial control in Darfur<\/a>, Kordofan, and Khartoum, while SAF remains in control of northern, central, and eastern regions, including de-facto administrative capital Port Sudan. In December, an RSF offensive<\/a> \u201cwrestled the central Gezira state from the army\u2019s control and threatened its presence<\/a> in the White Nile and Sennar states\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The war unmasked SAF’s ineptitude, Baldo asserts, \u201cas its senior commanders became too steeped in grand corruption practices to pay attention to the decay of SAF as a fighting force\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their adversary, the RSF, is \u201cethnically aligned<\/a>, with plunder as the main motivation of its fighters\u201d. The paramilitary force \u201cproved incapable of providing for the population\u201d in El Gezira after it took over the former safe haven<\/a> for those who fled Khartoum and El Obeid in the early days of the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of December, the Wad Madani Resistance Committees lamented the deterioration<\/a> of security, health and humanitarian conditions in El Gezira, continued attacks by the RSF, the lack of functional hospitals, and the ongoing waves of displacement in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The region is divided over Sudan. Sudanese policy analyst Kholood Khair and civil society activist Asmahan Akam wrote in Time<\/em> magazine<\/a> in December that \u201cEgypt<\/a>, Iran, Turkey<\/a>, and Saudi Arabia support the SAF while the United Arab Emirates<\/a> (UAE), a UN Security Council member, backs the RSF in seeming violation of the body\u2019s own arms embargo on Darfur<\/a>, first enacted in 2004 and just renewed (with a yes vote from the UAE) in March 2023\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018No tangible solution\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SAF, with junta leader Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan at its head, conditions a ceasefire on the RSF evacuating private and residential areas. Baldo explains that this is most likely to be rejected by the latter, as it maintains a tactical advantage in doing so, especially in Khartoum where it continues to lay siege<\/a> to several SAF command stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst ongoing conflict threatens SAF’s collapse, Baldo believes, \u201ca traffic jam of diplomatic initiatives\u201d has yet to bring forth any sustainable nor tangible end to the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jeddah talks, facilitated by the US and Saudi Arabia, stalled due to belligerents’ failures<\/a> to honour commitments. The United Nations (UN) \u201cwas relegated to an observer\u2019s seat as Sudan unilaterally terminated<\/a> its political mission\u201d, whereas \u201coffers of mediation by Russia<\/a>, Turkey<\/a>, and a Sudan\u00a0neighbours\u2019 initiative launched by Egypt<\/a> in July failed to generate traction because the RSF declined to cooperate with any\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the end of 2023, the Horn of Africa Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), whose members include Djibouti, Kenya, the Sudans, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia and Eritrea, emerged as a lead mediator for a humanitarian ceasefire and civilian-led political negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IGAD convened in Djibouti<\/a> in early December, for an extraordinary assembly\u00a0session on the situation in Sudan, where members agreed to redouble efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution, including mediating head-to-head talks between El Burhan and RSF commander \u2018Hemedti\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHowever, several challenges emerged in the final days of 2023 and early 2024 that risk derailing the IGAD\u2019s role in these processes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hours after the IGAD communiqu\u00e9 of the summit was released, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs initially denied El Burhan\u2019s agreement<\/a> to meet with Hemedti without conditions, stating that the communiqu\u00e9\u2019s content \u201cwas not based on consensus nor legally binding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baldo notes that the FA Ministry is \u201cdominated by Islamist allies of the SAF<\/a>\u201d who are most likely behind the initial rejection of the offer. El Burhan later agreed<\/a> to meet with Hemedti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another challenge facing IGAD\u2019s role is the official reception and hospitality<\/a> received by Hemedti during his Africa tour, in which he was hosted by the heads of four IGAD member states, including chairperson Ismail Guelleh, the President of Djibouti<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHemedti\u2019s reception as a visiting dignitary bestowed on him a diplomatic legitimacy that provoked the\u00a0ire of the SAF<\/a>, and made less likely that Burhan would agree to meet with him under the IGAD\u2019s auspices after this slight\u201d, the expert explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last June<\/a>, Sudan\u2019s Sovereignty Council, chaired by El Burhan, declared that \u201cKenya is not neutral and is home to RSF rebel leaders\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, acting FA Minister Ali El Sadig announced that Sudan summoned the Kenyan ambassador<\/a> to protest against the official reception of Hemedti by the Kenyan president.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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* <\/em>Dr Suliman Baldo<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is an expert in justice, human rights and conflict resolution in Africa and served as the Africa head of International Crisis group, the International Center for Transitional Justice, and has also held human rights and mediation posts in the United Nations. He has provided expert advice on human rights in Mali and Darfur and currently leads the\u00a0Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker. (Source: International Centre for Dialogue Initiatives <\/em>website<\/em><\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n