Cairo Conference of Sudanese Political Forces: While Egypt is Applauded, the Joint Communiqué is Widely Rejected

Despite the great efforts made by the State of Egypt in bringing together Sudanese political and civil parties and forces in Cairo for dialogue on ways to resolve the crisis in the country, the failure to condemn the widespread violations committed by the Rapid Support Militia in the war led to the failure of key participants to sign the Joint Communiqué.

The Sudan Liberation Army movements led by Minni Arko Minawi, the Justice and Equality Movement led by Jibril Ibrahim, and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North – Revolutionary Front led by Malik Agar refused to sign the final statement of the Cairo conference.

Minnawi said in a special statement to Almohagig published yesterday that the Coordination Body of the Civil and Democratic Forces (Taqaddum) refused to condemn the widespread violations committed by the Rapid Support Militia in Al-Fasher and Wad Al-Noura and was, therefore, not interested in signing the Joint Communiqué.

He tweeted, “We are not concerned with a statement that does not express sympathy for the people.”

As the head of the Justice and Equality Movement, Jibril Ibrahim, said: “The Arab Republic of Egypt is first of all grateful for hosting large numbers of Sudanese people. Secondly, thanks for her tireless efforts to find a solution to the Sudanese crisis. Thirdly, thanks for organising a conference of Sudanese political and “civilian” forces in Cairo in search of peace.

The invitees responded to Egypt’s invitation without hesitation due to its great standing among them, and they found in the opening speech of His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs something that warmed their hearts. However, the final statement did not take into account the feelings of the people whom the militia subjected to various kinds of torture, and it did not say who made the people poorer and hungry by obstructing food from reaching them. Therefore, we chose not to be a party to it.”

Al-Mirghani Welcomes and Criticizes the Wording of the Final Statement

For his part, the head of the Democratic Bloc, Jaafar Al-Sadiq Muhammad Othman Al-Mirghani, welcomed Egypt’s tireless efforts to bring together the Sudanese, provide an opportunity to hear all voices and clarify differences.

In a press statement seen by the “Investigator,” he stressed that “the Cairo meeting represents an important step towards ending the rebellion of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan and establishing an appropriate environment for elections.”

Al-Mirghani expressed his thanks and gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt, its leadership, and its people for the distinguished efforts to bring the Sudanese together in this important conference. He said that this step comes at a critical time when the war threatens Sudan’s survival as a unified, independent state and afflicts millions of Sudanese families and citizens.

Al-Mirghani explained that the final statement did not reflect the spirit of the deliberations and discussions that took place during the conference. The wording was neither successful nor comprehensive, and he stressed that the statement did not indicate what he – His Excellency – mentioned in terms of condemning the rebels’ attack on the cities of Sinja and Madani, the cities that sheltered refugees and the violations they committed in Darfur.

Al-Mirghani pointed out that the Sudanese people are waiting for tangible results and clear positions that express support for the people and state institutions, expressing his hope that the statement will be the first step in this direction.

He renewed his commitment to supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces in a clear and frank manner, stressing the importance of their role in maintaining security and stability in the country. He stressed that the Democratic Bloc will continue to work on developing the final statement and support the efforts made to end the rebellion and achieve a comprehensive peace in Sudan.

For her part, Ishraqa Sayed Mahmoud, head of the supreme leadership body of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party “is keen on Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue in a way that guarantees the sovereignty of the country, the legitimacy of the army, and the preservation of rights, justice and the law against all those who participated in war crimes against the oppressed and oppressed Sudanese people, and that we are in one trench with Our soldiers and the popular resistance until victory in the battle of pride and dignity.”

The Future Movement for Reform and Development said: “We have followed the Egyptian government’s invitation to some Sudanese political parties under the name of the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue in Cairo. We appreciate Cairo’s positive role in the Sudanese crisis and salute the Egyptian people for hosting Sudanese refugees and for our knowledge of the role of Egyptian institutions in this direction.” We are aware that the Sudanese crisis and the repercussions of the reality of the war in Sudan are linked to the future of Egypt and all of Sudan’s neighbouring countries. Especially in light of the economic crises, aspects of food security, water scarcity, and climate changes in the region, we believe that the Sudanese-Sudanese political dialogue must take place within Sudan and that work to stop the war must begin with the implementation of the Jeddah Declaration signed on May 11, 2023, and its development of the ceasefire agreement. As for the political process, with all its complexities, it begins after the cessation of the war, including all Sudanese political forces. Otherwise, it is a political gain from the war.”

Notably, the invitations received by the parties specified the sixth and seventh of July to hold the conference. However, the organising party changed its mind and reduced it to one day. Analysts attributed this to the host country’s possibly seeing a wide gap between the visions of the various Sudanese parties and thus preferring to shorten it to one day.