Middle East countries on Wednesday heard calls for a renewed peace push in Sudan, where war has now been raging for more than 1,000 days, as countries involved in negotiations attended a meeting in Cairo.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty chaired a fifth meeting of a group including representatives of the UN, Arab League, African and European unions and more than a dozen countries eager to end the civil war.
Among the participants were Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan, Minister of State; Ramtane Lamamra, UN envoy on Sudan; Massad Boulos, US presidential adviser; and Waleed Khurayji, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister. Representatives of Germany, Turkey, Norway, Qatar, the UK, China, Russia, France, Iraq, Djibouti and Angola were also present.
The US, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt make up a group called the Quad that tabled peace proposals last year.
Mr Abdelatty told them the conflict in Sudan demanded “sincere and co-ordinated regional and international efforts to stop the bloodshed". He warned that the war’s continuation posed serious risks to peace and security in the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa and neighbouring countries.
He reiterated Egypt’s “red lines”, first outlined in a presidential statement last month, which call for preserving Sudan’s unity, rejecting any partition and safeguarding the country’s institutions.
The minister said Egypt was determined to secure a comprehensive ceasefire leading to a Sudanese-led political process. He called for an immediate humanitarian truce as a first step, urging donors to honour aid pledges in what he described as worsening conditions for civilians.
Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris this week announced the army-backed government’s return to the capital Khartoum, seven months after he was named as head of a military-backed authority based in the wartime capital of Port Sudan.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi made similar points in a meeting with Mr Boulos, the US adviser, earlier in the day. Mr El Sisi described Egypt’s “fixed and supportive” position on Sudan’s sovereignty and warned against any attempt to undermine its stability.
He spoke of an “organic link” between the security of both nations. He also expressed appreciation for Washington’s engagement and said Cairo backed all regional and international efforts to end the war.
Mr Abdelatty had met UN envoy Mr Lamamra on Tuesday for preparatory talks ahead of the Cairo meeting. Mr Lamamra praised Egypt’s political and humanitarian role, including sheltering large numbers of displaced Sudanese, and said co-ordination among regional initiatives was crucial to move towards a ceasefire and inclusive political dialogue.
The latest round of consultations took place as Sudan’s civil war extends into a fourth year. Fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in April 2023.
The army retains control over much of northern, eastern and central Sudan, including Khartoum, while the RSF dominates most of Darfur and parts of Kordofan, leaving the country effectively divided.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced an estimated 13.6 million people, of whom about 4.3 million have fled across borders into Chad, South Sudan and Egypt.
Nearly 21 million people now face acute food insecurity amid a collapsing economy and a healthcare system in crisis, UN agencies say.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk was due to begin a four-day visit to Sudan on Wednesday to meet officials in Port Sudan and assess the humanitarian situation in displacement areas.
