Cairo — As part of regional and international efforts to end the Sudanese conflict, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has invited Sudanese political forces, civil and religious leaders to a meeting in Cairo on July 6 and 7. The discussions will focus on halting the war, delivering humanitarian aid, and forming a unified political vision for the post-war period.

Sherif Osman, the political secretary of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP) and leader within the Civil Democratic Forces alliance (better known as Tagadom), disclosed that prominent forces participating in the meeting will include Tagadom, the mainstream Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC-CC), the Democratic Bloc (FFC-DB), as well as civil society figures.

"If solutions are agreed upon, the participating forces will issue a final statement on the outcomes", Osman told Radio Dabanga. The warring parties, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are noticeably absent.

The SCP political secretary expected the meeting to nonetheless help reduce military escalation and strengthen the anti-war discourse. "We hope to unite the groups that support the war to choose peace instead. The meeting aims to outline clear steps to stop the war, dispel the fears of the warring parties, and make them more open to peace.

SAF-RSF absence

Addressing concerns about the absence of the warring parties, Khalid Yousef, vice president of the SCP and leader within Tagadom, asserted that "any step towards peace is beneficial.

"Civilian consensus is important to prioritise the end of the war and address the humanitarian crisis". Such unity could encourage the warring parties to choose negotiation over conflict, paving the way for a political process leading to sustainable peace, he told Radio Dabanga.

The SCP vice-president believed that a united front among Sudanese would compel the warring parties to respond positively to peace efforts, adding that the failure to implement agreements made in Jeddah resulted from a lack of comprehensive political will. "A unified voice from all Sudanese could serve as a gateway to peace, condemning any party obstructing humanitarian aid and agreeing on a political methodology to resolve the crisis."

Yousef appreciated the Egyptian initiative, noting its "timely importance" as a new battlefront emerges in central Sudan's Sennar. He underlined that Tagadom welcomed the invitation, recognising it as part of broader efforts to achieve peace.

Mubarak Ardol, head of the Democratic Justice Alliance and leader within the Forces for Freedom and Change-Democratic Bloc (FFC-DB), hoped that the meetings would be "direct and inclusive, avoiding discussions about the relative weight of different political blocs".

Ardol added that Egypt's "deep understanding of the Sudanese political landscape, which surpasses that of many other intervening countries, enables Cairo to effectively involve relevant Sudanese parties in the discussions."

Invitations

The Gathering of Sudan Liberation Forces (GSLF) also welcomed the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' invitation to participate in the July 6 meeting, confirming they would be "active participants".

Kamal Abdelsalam, political secretary of the Popular Congress Party (PCP), noted that his party did not receive an invitation. "Instead, a faction of the party was invited, which we contested."

He emphasised however that despite their absence, they support any step towards resolving Sudan's political crisis. "We support the efforts to end the war and pave the way for democratic transformation. We wish this meeting success in achieving its goals of stopping the war and facilitating national democratic transformation."

The meeting, expected to be held on Saturday in the Egyptian capital, will include political forces, armed movements, civil society organisations (CSOs), professionals, resistance committees, and civil and religious figures.