Disagreements Delay Quartet Meetings on Sudan in Washington

A Western diplomat has revealed disagreements among the countries participating in the Quartet meetings in Washington regarding the participation of Sudanese parties.

US Presidential Advisor for African Affairs, Massad Boulos, announced last Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio intends to hold an imminent meeting in Washington regarding the war in Sudan, involving the foreign ministers of the Quartet countries, which include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and the United States.

The diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained to Sudan Tribune that Cairo’s insistence on the participation of representatives from the Sudanese government and the army led to the delay in holding the meeting.

The source confirmed that Washington rejects the participation of military commanders in the meeting, particularly after imposing sanctions on a number of them.

He indicated that the US administration proposed inviting leaderships from the previous civilian government headed by Hamdok, but Cairo rejected the proposal.

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed, on January 16, sanctions on Sudanese Army Commander Abdel-Fattah al-Burhan, as well as a weapons supplier to the armed forces.

Washington also prohibited all transactions by US persons, within the United States, or transiting through the United States, that involve any property or interests held by al-Burhan.

However, the decision did not specifically bar al-Burhan from entering the United States.