Arab League seeks to ‘harmonise’ Sudan peace efforts

A meeting at the League of Arab States headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, has brought together international organisations and key nations hoping to enhance the coordination between initiatives aimed at restoring peace in Sudan.

The consultative meeting began yesterday morning at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.

Participants include representatives from the League of Arab States, the United Nations, the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the European Union, Bahrain (the current chair of the Arab Summit), Mauritania (presiding over the African Union), and Djibouti, currently chairing IGAD.

Also attending are representatives from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America, all of which have launched initiatives to resolve the Sudan crisis.

The meeting is chaired by the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboulgheit. In his opening speech, Aboulgheit condemned the “deliberate overthrow and targeting of state institutions [in Sudan] and hideous ethnic cleansing operations that have once again reared their heads in Darfur and Kordofan.”

“We should not allow any delay in reaching a solution. Time is not on the side of the Sudanese people nor the Sudanese state,” Aboul Gheit stated, emphasising the urgency of addressing the crisis.

He affirmed that while ending the crisis should primarily be a Sudanese matter, the international community must “make every effort to restore stability in the country, maintain regional peace and security, and prevent the Sudanese state and its institutions from collapsing.”

“It is not wise for our efforts to remain scattered, and it is not right,” he added. “We hope that our meeting today will be a serious step forward in achieving harmony between the Jeddah platform talks, the Neighbouring Countries initiative, the African Union High-Level Panel, IGAD, the UN Secretary-General Personal Envoy to Sudan, and the Arab League.”

The participants aim to exchange views and conclusions regarding mediation efforts and peace initiatives aimed at restoring peace and stability in Sudan. They seek to reach a consensus to strengthen coordination mechanisms and overcome the challenges hindering sustainable peace in Sudan.

According to Aboulgheit’s speech, the meeting’s main objectives are to:

1. Exchange views and draw lessons from existing peace initiatives and mediation efforts.
2. Discuss innovative ways to enhance coordination mechanisms and harmonise efforts to overcome major challenges.

The meeting will reach these objective through three axes:

1. Evaluating participants’ efforts within the peace initiatives they are undertaking.
2. Presenting ideas to strengthen coordination mechanisms by the UN Special Envoy to Sudan.
3. Discussing the complementarity between activities, the added value of the role of states, and establishing practical coordination tools to enhance the integration of efforts.

A final statement is expected to be issued once the meeting concludes, affirming the participants’ commitment to supporting a more coherent approach to enhancing coordination and integration of peace efforts in Sudan.