Al-Burhan and Bin Zayed: The Story of a Controversial Phone Call

Gedaref – Sudanhorizon – Talal Ismail

“No one knows what Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said to Sudanese Sovereignty Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan inside the presidential car that took them from Port Sudan airport to the city. Al-Burhan was driving, and Abiy Ahmed was beside him. However, Abiy Ahmed was likely trying to convince al-Burhan to accept a conversation with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed”.
This is how a close associate of al-Burhan described the surprising turn of events that led to the phone call between al-Burhan and Bin Zayed, as revealed to the “Sudanhorizon” news site.
A brief press release from the Transitional Sovereignty Council (Friday) stated that al-Burhan received a phone call from UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday.
According to the release, the head of the Sovereignty Council informed the UAE President that his country is accused by Sudanese people, with numerous evidences and witnesses, of supporting the rebels who are killing Sudanese, destroying their country, and displacing them, and that the UAE must stop this.
The statement from the Sovereignty Council came about 24 hours after the UAE news agency reported the phone call on Thursday evening. This sparked wide debate among observers about who initiated the call and whether it had any connection to Abiy Ahmed’s role as a mediator between the two countries.
On July 9, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in Port Sudan, his first visit since the war in Sudan began in mid-April last year between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). During his visit, he held closed-door talks with the head of the Sovereignty Council and Sudanese army commander-in-chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
Well-informed and reliable sources told the “Sudanhorizon” news site that Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed initiated the call. The conversation, which lasted about half an hour, was dominated by President al-Burhan’s criticisms of the hostile and negative role the UAE has played against Sudan and its people. Al-Burhan reportedly stated that unless this hostile behaviour changes, Sudan will not accept the UAE as part of any platform to find a humanitarian solution or political settlement to the war.
The sources confirmed that al-Burhan was surrounded by his men and aides while taking the call.
The Editor-in-Chief of the “Sudanhorizon” news site, Alobeid Murawih, wrote an analysis on his official Facebook page linking the call between al-Burhan and Bin Zayed to the ongoing efforts by the U.S. administration to expand the Jeddah platform by including Egypt, the UAE, and the IGAD organisation as facilitators. Previously, the platform’s facilitation role had been exclusively held by Saudi Arabia and the United States.
In his post, Murawih stated, “The most important thing for me is to focus on what will happen next, or more precisely, what the war sponsors and instigators want to happen, specifically the United States.”

Expanding the Jeddah Platform

Murawih pointed out that the United States sought to “disrupt or freeze” the Jeddah platform because it did not achieve the political goals it aimed for. He explained that efforts were made to expand the platform by involving IGAD or “IGAD+” in the Jeddah negotiations, with actual attempts to arrange an IGAD summit in Djibouti that was supposed to be followed by a meeting between President al-Burhan and the leader of the rebel militia, but this did not happen for well-known reasons.
He added: “There were also attempts to ‘expand’ the Jeddah platform through the Manama negotiations, adding Egypt and the UAE as mediators, but these negotiations failed.”
The Editor-in-Chief of “Sudanhorizon” news site asserted that the primary goal pursued by the Biden administration was the expansion of the Jeddah platform to include Egypt and the UAE as “facilitating” parties in the negotiations. However, this goal has been a significant obstacle to the platform’s relaunch. He noted that President al-Burhan has consistently stated that he will not accept any party that exacerbates the war to be part of the efforts to facilitate a resolution. Al-Burhan maintained this stance until the visit of the Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister to Port Sudan last week.

Response to Neighboring Countries

Awad Babiker, the former secretary to the late Secretary-General of the Popular Congress Party Hassan al-Turabi, believes that the phone call does not represent a new stance by the UAE as much as it is a manoeuvre to respond to the pressures from its allies in the region (Chad, South Sudan, Kenya, Ethiopia, and the African Union).
He stated: “The war’s effects on the internal situations in these countries are becoming apparent. Chad fears the repercussions of the developments in Darfur, where the army and the joint forces from the armed movements have improved their positions and started to threaten cities controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), posing a threat to Chad’s weak interior. Thus, continuing Chad’s support for the RSF, despite the UAE’s request, will likely result in losses that could threaten the internal situation for President Déby. South Sudan is experiencing an economic crisis due to the war’s impact, with near disruptions in oil flow, and a political crisis that forced Salva Kiir to postpone the elections. There’s also a security crisis, as many of those fighting alongside the RSF are from the Nuer faction, opposing Salva Kiir’s policies and the Dinka. In Kenya, protesters continue to demand President Ruto’s departure. The Ethiopian ally is facing severe inflation and security crises, with most regions and militias in a state of unrest, threatening the existence of the Ethiopian state and Abiy Ahmed. The RSF’s eastward expansion and proximity to the Ethiopian border pose another threat, especially since some fighting alongside the RSF are from the Fano forces, the fiercest opposition to Abiy Ahmed. The war in Sudan has given them opportunities for training, organisation, and armament, launching from within Sudan.”
He continued, “All this prompted intelligence officer Abiy Ahmed to reassess his calculations and successfully convey these regional concerns to his Emirati friends, asking for their assistance in calming the situation or manoeuvring. Thus, the UAE responded by phone, which does not necessarily reflect a genuine commitment to a constructive role they wish to adopt.
Awad added, “This step will go to waste with the first shot fired by the militia, which is expected to be even fiercer after this call as they seek to prove their presence.”

Al-Burhan’s Upcoming Visit to Egypt

Meanwhile, a well-informed source told the “Sudanhorizon” news site that President al-Burhan will travel to the Arab Republic of Egypt in the coming days to discuss bilateral relations and enhance mutual cooperation with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Media reports have indicated that during al-Burhan’s last visit to Egypt, President el-Sisi suggested that al-Burhan take practical steps in forming a delegation to negotiate along the lines of the Jeddah platform and assured his support for any steps towards rapprochement or reducing tensions between Sudan and the UAE.