A Glimmer of Hope
The Regional Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) announced that the two warring parties in Sudan agreed to have a face-to-face meeting. This meeting would be between Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the head of the Rapid Support Forces. Exciting, right?
Uncertainty Looms
This meeting might not happen after all. According to Mehdi Brier, a member of the Anti-War Civil Front, Al-Burhan might try to delay the meeting as much as possible since if he attends the meeting, it could mean admitting that the Sudanese army was defeated. And that could affect his position as a leader representing Sudan internationally. Yikes!
An Ambiguous Relationship
The army actually created these Janjaweed militias during the time of former President Omar al-Bashir to fight against rebellion in Darfur. In 2013, they became the "Rapid Support Forces" and even had around 400 generals joining their ranks. But here's the thing: the relationship between the army and the Rapid Support Forces is a bit confusing.
Stuck in a Dead End
After Al-Bashir was overthrown, Hemedti became the second most powerful person in Sudan after Al-Burhan. They worked together to prevent their colleagues from civil society and political parties from bringing about democratic changes. Eventually, they even seized power together in a coup. But now, they're stuck in a deadlock. They both agreed to form a civilian government, but they have different ideas about how it should be done. The army wants to integrate the Rapid Support Forces into its ranks, while the Rapid Support Forces want a big national conference and refuse to join the army.
Neighboring Countries and Diplomatic Tensions
The conflict in Sudan is not just affecting Sudan itself. It's also putting a burden on neighboring countries like Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. These countries are hosting over 1.2 million refugees. Diplomatic tensions might even speed up the process of reaching an agreement.
Confusion Surrounds Meeting
However, Yesterday, there was a lot of confusion about the meeting that was supposed to happen between Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and Hemedti. The IGAD summit had announced that the meeting was going to take place in Djibouti, but then it was suddenly postponed until next January. The main issue causing the conflict was Hemedti's presence at the meeting.
Reasons for Postponement
Sources from IGAD said that the meeting was postponed to January for technical reasons. The Sudanese Sovereignty Council also confirmed that Hemedti was not ready to meet Al-Burhan, according to what they were told by Djibouti, who is currently the president of IGAD.
Disagreements
The Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed their disappointment with the Rapid Support Command for delaying the meeting. They had received a memorandum from IGAD stating that Hemedti would not be able to come to Djibouti.
On the other hand, the Rapid Support Forces claimed that they had received an official invitation and were ready to attend the meeting. They said that the rumors about Hemedti not wanting to meet Al-Burhan were completely false.
It seems that there was miscommunication between the two parties, as the Rapid Support Forces had not been notified by IGAD about the postponement.
Purpose of the Meeting
The meeting was supposed to be about agreeing on a ceasefire and finding ways to provide relief to those affected by the war in Sudan. The conflict between the army and Rapid Support forces has caused the death of thousands of people and the displacement of millions.
Hope Still Flickers
So, what's going to happen next? Well, it's hard to say. Alexis Mohamed, an advisor to the President of Djibouti, says that in any armed conflict, you have to expect the unexpected. The Sudanese people are still holding onto a glimmer of hope, but it's a very timid one for now.
What's Next?
Dalia Abdel Moneim, a political analyst, says that the situation is very fluid. We don't know what's happening behind the scenes, but she expects some announcements in the future. As for now, the Sudanese people are still waiting for that glimmer of hope to shine a little brighter.
