Intelligence Diplomacy… Sudan Receives Special Messages and Reciprocates

Sudanhorizon – Telal Ismail

Unlike the majority of the work carried out by intelligence agencies in the region, the General Intelligence Service in Sudan does not only focus on gathering information related to state security, analyzing it, and recommending actions to various state institutions. It does not merely operate behind the scenes and take measures to preserve and protect national interests, as a key pillar in the structure of Sudanese national security.

Rather, it goes further by taking up arms and fighting alongside the armed forces against rebels, terrorists, and lawbreakers. While the role played by the officers of the intelligence service and their soldiers in direct combat missions related to the War of Dignity is commendable, it is noteworthy that the agency also performs other critically important roles on different fronts that are no less significant. These roles involve building bridges of communication and resolving many challenges in the surrounding scene that affects Sudan’s internal and external security.

Covert Diplomacy

Regional files and others related to an international agenda concerning the war that erupted in Sudan since mid-April 2023 have turned Port Sudan, the capital of the Red Sea State in the east of the country, into a hub for visits by intelligence directors from neighboring countries under what we might call “intelligence diplomacy” or hidden diplomacy, where there is a relentless effort to address matters that cannot be handled in public.

In this context, last Monday, a private Ethiopian plane landed at Port Sudan Airport carrying a high-level Ethiopian delegation headed by Ridwan Hussein, the Director-General of the National Security and Intelligence Service of the eastern neighbor, who brought a message from Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the Chairman of the Sudanese Sovereign Council, Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
There is no doubt that this step was preceded by other steps within the framework of “unannounced diplomacy” aimed at bringing the viewpoints of the two countries closer on issues of mutual interest.

The high-level Ethiopian delegation, led by Ridwan Hussein, the Director of Intelligence, and Jitachu Reda, the Prime Minister’s advisor for East Africa, stated that the Ethiopian Prime Minister confirmed in his message “Ethiopia’s support for Sudan’s efforts to ensure peace and stability.” Ridwan noted that the delegation was received “warmly,” and that Ethiopia “will continue its steadfast support” for Sudan’s efforts to achieve peace and stability. The Ethiopian Intelligence Director and his delegation had visited Juba days ago to reassure themselves about the situation there after the disagreements that arose between President Salva Kiir’s government and the opposition SPLM led by Riek Machar, who is under house arrest.

Regional Files

After some neighboring countries believed that the war that broke out in Sudan over two years ago would not last long, and that the “Rapid Support” forces would prevail, these convictions changed thanks to the resilience of the Sudanese Armed Forces and their supporting forces on the ground.

These countries have begun to reassess their calculations, with some of them even shifting to a state of extreme concern that the repercussions may extend to the capitals of those countries that are connected to what is happening in Khartoum. Fingers holding pens and others pressing triggers, it may be coincidental that there is a separation between two significant diplomatic activities carried out by the General Intelligence Service. Another activity was the graduation of a qualifying batch from the personnel of the intelligence service, addressed by the Chairman of the Sovereign Council and the Director-General of the service. On that occasion, Lieutenant General Ahmed Ibrahim Mafdhal confirmed that the service has remained a support to the executive institutions of the state; it has also worked to bolster diplomacy in protection of the country’s supreme interests.

The General Intelligence Service received commendation from the Chairman of the Sovereign Council at the graduation ceremony, appreciating the growing role of the service in preserving the unity, stability, and security of Sudan, and confronting all security threats facing Sudan, affirming that the service has worked with professionalism and competence and performs its duties with full patriotism and integrity. Another diplomatic breakthrough preceded the graduation ceremony, specifically the visit of the Ethiopian intelligence director to Port Sudan, alongside another highly significant visit by the director of intelligence from the Central African Republic and an advisor to the country’s president Henry Wanzit, who spent two days in Port Sudan, during which he met with the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and conveyed a message from the President of the Central African Republic, Faustin Archange Touadéra, regarding the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to support and develop them.

The meeting between Burhan and the delegation of the Afrocentral Agency, headed by Lieutenant General Henry Wanzit, Director of Intelligence in the Central African Republic and advisor to the president, discussed aspects of cooperation between Khartoum and Bangui, and the available opportunities to enhance bilateral relations in various fields, in addition to discussing a number of issues of mutual interest between the two countries. The guest and his accompanying delegation also held intensive discussions with their Sudanese counterparts; an event many observers considered an important diplomatic breakthrough.

As part of his visit to Port Sudan, Foreign Minister Ambassador Omar Muhammad Ahmed Siddiq received Henry Wanzit, Director of the Afrocental Intelligence Agency, and his accompanying delegation, where they discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them in various fields. The Foreign Minister confirmed the significant role that Sudan has played in achieving peace in the Central African Republic, reiterating Sudan’s support for its stability, as this will positively reflect on the two countries.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=5900