Sudan Approaches Lifting its Suspended Membership in the African Union

On Oct 4, 2024 Last updated Oct 4, 2024

Face of the truth

Ibrahim Shaglawi
Shglawi55@gmail.com

It is clear that Sudan has moved to a new phase in its dealings with the African Union and its organizations
concerned with security and peace, and possibly all its organizations, which have remained absent from Sudanese affairs in recent periods. This engagement has been imposed by the difficult circumstances the Sudanese government has faced, both before and after the war, as it worked to preserve the structure of the state. Yesterday, the African Peace and Security Council began a visit to Sudan, its first since the outbreak of war in Sudan. A high-level delegation arrived in Port Sudan, led by Ambassador Mohamed Gad, Egypt’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, and the Permanent Representative to the African Union, who currently chairs the Peace and Security Council. The visit discussed several issues, the most important being the cessation of the war and the restoration of security and peace in Sudan, following the war ignited by the rebel Rapid Support Forces after their failed coup, backed by regional powers and supported politically by some Sudanese political parties that sought to seize power and reorganize the Sudanese scene according to regional and international ambitions.

The delegation, whose visit is considered late by some observers, held its first meeting with President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who expressed a firm stance towards the African Union and its organizations regarding what was expected during this crisis that the Sudanese people are going through. Al-Burhan informed them that the African Union’s description of what happened on October 25 as a coup is inaccurate and contradicts the facts. He also emphasized that what Sudan is experiencing is a form of new colonialism and added that the African Union’s disregard for the crisis facing the Sudanese people stems from a lack of understanding of the nature of the crisis. He explained that a part of the country is occupied by a rebel militia with the participation of foreign mercenaries, assisted by well-known countries. He pointed out the attacks by the rebel forces on peaceful cities, their violation of citizens’ sanctities, looting of their properties, and the rape of women, stating that the world has witnessed this without taking any action. Al-Burhan also reiterated his rejection of foreign powers controlling Sudan by using rebel forces in their war against the country. He said (the Chairman of the Sovereign Council) that there are political forces eager to return to power by any means before citizens can return to their homes and areas occupied by the rebel militia.

President Al-Burhan’s message to the delegation was clear and transparent, conveying the government’s vision and its stance that should be respected by the African organization. Ambassador Mohamed Gad, head of the delegation, said in a press statement (this is the first visit by the Peace and Security Council to Sudan in several years, and that Egypt has made it a priority since it assumed the presidency of the council in April to carry out this visit). He added that the clarifications provided by the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council to the African Peace and Security Council delegation helped to better understand the dimensions of the Sudanese crisis, noting that the delegation reaffirmed its support for Sudan until peace is achieved in the country. He added that Egypt always emphasizes the necessity for Sudan to emerge safely from this crisis. The meeting also touched upon the need to create the conditions for Sudan to regain its membership in the African Union, emphasizing that Sudan cannot go through such a crisis while its membership in the African Union remains frozen.

This discussion about the importance of restoring Sudan’s membership in the African Union is a positive and necessary step that should be implemented. It is a recognition of the current reality, which requires Sudan to fully enjoy its membership in the African Union, a right that should be taken into consideration as it helps in restoring security and peace and preserving the structure of the Sudanese state. During his remarks, Ambassador Mohamed Gad also confirmed that the African Peace and Security Council would work to bring peace to Sudan, facilitate the ceasefire, and support the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Sudanese people. It is clear that the African Peace and Security Council arrived with an open mind, ready to listen to the Sudanese leadership’s perspective and its reservations regarding several positions, including the need to treat Sudan as a pioneering state among the founders of the African Union while respecting the boundaries of engagement that uphold national sovereignty and the laws of the organization.

In this context, Sudan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Ambassador Al-Zein Ibrahim Hussein, said in a press statement we listened to that the African Peace and Security Council’s visit is significant as it is the first since 2015. He noted that it signals a new positive engagement between the African Union and Sudan after its membership was suspended on October 26, 2021, following corrective measures related to ending the partnership with the civilian component. He indicated that the council’s delegation received a detailed briefing from the Chairman of the Sovereign Council on various military, security, political, and humanitarian issues, noting that the delegation held important meetings with several state officials, giving them a comprehensive understanding of the situation in Sudan and enabling the delegation to acquire information on the reality of the crisis. Ambassador Al-Zein explained that Egypt currently chairs the African Peace and Security Council and that the delegation included the Peace and Security Commissioner, the political affairs official, and the African Union’s Ambassador to Sudan, Mohamed Belalish. He noted that this visit would set a roadmap for re-establishing Sudan’s ties with the African Union.

It is clear that the visit may lead to a recommendation on the importance of unfreezing Sudan’s membership in the African Union, and possibly an agreement on a preliminary roadmap for the organization’s role in the next phase of restoring security and achieving peace for Sudanese citizens. Observers noted that all the meetings with the delegation did not mention the implementation of the Jeddah Agreement for security and humanitarian arrangements, signed on May 11 of last year. This was seen by some as a sign that the ground offensive initiated by the army in recent days to regain control and impose peace on the rebel forces is nearing its end. The delegation also held intense meetings with officials from the Council of Ministers, including Lieutenant General Engineer Ibrahim Jaber, who expressed reservations about the negative positions of some African countries and their silence on the situation in Sudan. During the meeting, Attorney General Fath El Tayfor discussed several files related to the current crisis and the humanitarian violations committed by the rebel Rapid Support Forces. The council delegation expressed solidarity with the Sudanese people and support for the Sudanese state institutions, pledging to coordinate with the African Union to monitor the situation in Sudan.

Notably, before the delegation arrived in Port Sudan, Ambassador Mohamed Gad, the head of the delegation, spoke to Al-Sharq about the importance and timing of the visit, as well as the remarks made by the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Tom Perriello, who revealed that channels of communication had been opened with the African Union regarding preparations for deploying intervention forces to protect civilians in Sudan. He said Egypt’s position on this matter is clear, rejecting this proposal entirely, stating: “This proposal is not new.” On the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly sessions on September 25, some Western countries called for a meeting on Sudan, where a proposed agreement on Sudan was discussed, which Egypt and other concerned African countries flatly rejected. This clear position on the importance of the visit and its timing, and the firm rejection of international forces intervening in Sudan to protect civilians, reflects a renewed hope in the African Union and its Peace and Security Council. The Sudanese government and all the Sudanese people look forward to an active and constructive role from the African Union and its organizations in supporting Sudan to overcome the crisis, restore security, and achieve peace for the Sudanese people. This is the face of the truth that we should all support, and upon which the new phase in Sudan should begin. Based on this, the African Union must review all its calculations regarding Sudan in line with the new reality in which the Sudanese people have succeeded in reclaiming their state after its abduction.

Best regards and good health.