Al -Jazeera Net Correspondents
Sudan – After more than 800 days have passed since the war in Sudan erupted, a remarkable shift emerged in the American position, as the administration of President Donald Trump pledged to make the Sudanese file a top priority in the African continent.
Observers believe that this endeavor does not move away from the American foreign policy accounts seeking to achieve a new achievement that is recorded for the republican administration, even if it requires the use of political and economic pressure tools in parallel with regional diplomatic moves.
During the signing ceremony of the peace agreement between Rwanda and the Congo in the “Colin L. Powell” Hall in Washington – a joint American -American sponsorship – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio surprised those present with clear statements about Sudan, saying that the next destination for US foreign policy will be to stop the war and achieve peace in this country that has been suffering from a conflict that has lasted since April 2023.
Quadruple
The new American move came after a meeting of Christopher Lando, US Deputy Foreign Minister and Saad Paul, adviser to the US President for African and Middle East, in the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, within the SUV of Sudan. The meeting resulted in an agreement to intensify diplomatic efforts to urge the conflicting parties to the ceasefire, and to push towards a political settlement that restores stability to the country.
This American shift is seen in the context of the increasing international pressure to end the war that has caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, according to United Nations estimates.
Sources in the African Union confirmed to Al -Jazeera Net that the statements of the US Secretary of State reflect a new trend for Washington to launch a diplomatic initiative to end the Sudanese conflict, whether through direct mediation or through expanded regional coordination.
The sources – who preferred not to be identified – indicated that the coming weeks may witness more clear American moves, including regional visits and perhaps hosting preliminary talks in Washington.
On the other hand, sources close to the Sudanese Sovereignty Council to Al -Jazeera Net reported that the Sudanese leadership is open to any international initiative – including the American – provided that it is consistent with the road map presented by the President of the Council, Abdel Fattah al -Burhan, which began to be implemented by amending the constitutional document and naming a civil prime minister.
According to the same sources, the proof set several conditions before accepting any negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces, most notably the evacuation of civilian notables, the lifting of the siege on the city of El -Fasher, and the ceasefire followed by the withdrawal of rapid support from the states of Darfur and West Kordofan.
The sources also questioned the seriousness of rapid support, noting that his leaders do not have their independent decision or real political will, and that their leader Muhammad Hamdan Daglo “Hamidati” announced explicitly in his last speech his refusal to return to the negotiating table.
Between pressure and interests
Political analyst Sibawayh Youssef believes that the Trump administration is determined to impose peace in Sudan, and it has already begun to use the available pressure tools, such as the recent economic sanctions imposed, which he believes was the reason for the army’s acceptance of a humanitarian ceasefire in El Fasher.
Speaking to Al -Jazeera Net, Youssef pointed out that the rapid support expressed flexibility in the negotiating files, citing his participation in the Jeddah, Manama and Switzerland negotiations, in exchange for what he described as “the intransigence of the army” that withdrew from the pulpit of Jeddah at the end of 2023.
But political researcher Khaled Saad provides a different reading, stressing that Washington does not seek a fundamental solution to the Sudanese crisis, but rather seeks to manage and control it in a way that does not harm its interests in the region. He believes that Sudan has always been among Washington’s priorities, but not at the top of its list.
In his interview with Al -Jazeera Net – Saad notes that the Trump administration has military, diplomatic and economic pressure tools, and it also has influential regional allies, such as Qatar, which is expected to play a role in any upcoming negotiating path due to its experience in international mediations.
“The stick and the carrot”
Saad asserts that Washington uses the strategy of “exhaustion and gradual pressure” to push the parties to the conflict to accept political solutions. It is believed that the American administration cannot impose peace on its own, but it is able to play a decisive role in the event of coordination between regional powers, and a Sudanese internal will is available, with the two warring parties convinced that the military resolution cannot be convinced.
In conclusion, observers believe that the new American position places Sudan again on the table of international attention, amid hopes that Washington will contribute to breaking political stagnation and pushing a negotiating path that stops bloodshed and puts an end to the humanitarian crisis, and if this path remains conditional on the will of the local parties, and the understandings of regional and international players.
(Tagstotranslate) Politics (T) Sudan (T) Arabic