 |
| Sudan agrees to an American peace proposal |
The Sudanese government has agreed to a peace proposal put forward by Washington that outlines five key pillars for resolving the conflict, while expressing reservations about some points in the proposal related to political dialogue and security arrangements.
The American initiative includes signing a humanitarian truce, launching a political process, achieving a comprehensive ceasefire, and starting reconstruction and recovery.
The Sudanese government did not officially announce these proposals, but scattered leaks confirmed its acceptance of the proposal, as the Sudanese Foreign Minister handed over an official response to the American terms to the US Special Advisor for African Affairs, Massad Boulos, on June 25 in Cairo, showing a remarkable agreement between the two parties.
Proposal items
Under the terms specified in the proposal, an immediate humanitarian truce is declared throughout the country for a period of 90 days to facilitate the delivery of aid, protect civilians, and establish a coordination committee to oversee its implementation.
The plan also calls for the establishment of a UN mechanism, with the participation of the African Union and the League of Arab States, to oversee limited military withdrawals and the deployment of international observers to monitor compliance while respecting Sudanese sovereignty.
The American framework envisions using the initial truce to negotiate a permanent ceasefire and launch a comprehensive, civilian-led Sudanese national dialogue to guide a transitional period towards elected civilian rule.
To support long-term stability, the proposal details plans for economic stabilization, reviving local agricultural production, and establishing a fund dedicated to rebuilding infrastructure under the supervision of a transitional civilian government.
Leaks
According to leaks, a meeting was held in Cairo between the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army and member of the Sovereignty Council, Shams al-Din Kabbashi, and the American envoy, Massad Boulos, at the latter’s request and with the knowledge of the Sudanese ambassador and the military attaché in Cairo, despite neither of them participating in the meeting.
According to multiple sources, Kabashi immediately informed the Chairman of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and his deputy, Malik Agar, about the meeting and the details of what transpired between him and Paul.
Two points of contention between Khartoum and Washington
Despite agreement on the overall pillars, local media reports indicate that two major points of contention remain between Khartoum and Washington.
The first point of contention concerns the framework for political dialogue. The Sudanese government insists that talks must be held inside Sudan and include all political factions without exception. However, the American proposal excludes the participation of the National Congress Party, the former ruling party of ousted President Omar al-Bashir, and insists that the process be kept away from what the proposal calls "extremist groups" linked to the Islamic organization, as well as militias and individuals who have committed atrocities.
The second point of contention revolves around security arrangements and military withdrawals, with the American proposal calling for a gradual and partial withdrawal of forces across several regions, prioritizing North Darfur and North Kordofan under the supervision of the United Nations mechanism.
The Sudanese government rejects the gradual approach and instead demands a complete withdrawal of the Rapid Support Forces from all the territories they seized after May 11, 2023, a period that witnessed a significant expansion of their territorial control and their spread into several states in the west of the country.
