Did the "Quartet" meeting in Washington make progress towards peace in Sudan?

SadaNews - The meetings of the Quartet group concerning the Sudanese crisis, which includes the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE, concluded in Washington without making progress towards adopting practical steps to implement its peace plan.

On September 12, the Quartet group presented - after consultations with the foreign ministers of the member countries - a plan calling for a humanitarian ceasefire lasting three months, leading to a permanent ceasefire, followed by an inclusive and transparent transitional process over nine months that realizes the aspirations of the Sudanese people for an independent civilian government.

Coinciding with a new low-level meeting of the Quartet in Washington last Friday to discuss practical arrangements for implementing the group's peace plan, delegations from the Sudanese government and the Rapid Support Forces arrived in the United States at the American invitation.

The government delegation included Foreign Minister Muhieeldin Salem, the head of military intelligence, General Ahmed Ali Saber, and Major General Abbas Bakheet, the deputy director of the General Intelligence Service, while the Rapid Support Forces delegation included Hamdan Dagalo, the younger brother of the forces' leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo "Hemeti", their chief negotiating officer Brigadier General Omar Hamdan, and Mohamed Mukhtar Al-Noor.

Demands of Both Parties

Sudanese official sources revealed that the Foreign Minister and his accompanying delegation held discussions focused on the American side, led by the U.S. presidential advisor for African affairs, Musaad Boulos. The sources, which declined to disclose their identity, stated that the government delegation presented its vision regarding the security of the Red Sea, coordination in fighting terrorism, economic cooperation, and trade exchange, where positions converged on these issues.

According to the same official sources, the government delegation reiterated its position on the ceasefire, insisting on the roadmap sent by the Sovereignty Council to the UN Secretary-General last March and the "Jeddah Declaration" signed in May 2023, as a reference for any new agreement. They affirmed their readiness for a just and comprehensive peace that serves the Sudanese people and does not bring the Rapid Support Forces back to the military and political scene.

Additionally, the head of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, informed leaders of the Darfur peace movements during a meeting in Port Sudan last Saturday evening about the nature of the negotiations being conducted by the Sudanese delegation with the U.S. administration in Washington.

Al-Burhan affirmed during the meeting that there was no form of negotiation with the Rapid Support Forces, emphasizing that the ongoing discussions were limited to the American side and did not include any direct or indirect communication with the "rebel militia".

In contrast, platforms close to the Rapid Support Forces indicated that its delegation, consisting of four members, held talks with American officials and some parties of the Quartet group.

They reported that the Rapid Support Forces conditioned the adoption of the Manama Agreement - which was signed by initial letters in Bahrain in 2024 between Sovereignty Council member Shams al-Din al-Kabashi and Rapid Support Forces Deputy Commander General Abdul Rahim Dagalo - as a fundamental reference in the negotiations.

The Rapid Support Forces also demanded, according to those platforms, the severing of Sudan's relations with Iran, the removal of the Islamic movement from the political scene, the handover of those wanted by the International Criminal Court, and the establishment of a new professional national army based on new foundations.

Coordination Mechanism

At the conclusion of the Quartet group's meetings, Musaad Boulos announced that the parties of the Quartet committee concerned with the Sudanese file had reached an agreement to form a joint committee aimed at enhancing coordination around urgent priorities in Sudan.

Boulos clarified in a post via the X platform that the Quartet meeting extensively discussed ways to reduce external interference in the Sudanese conflict, emphasizing the need to push towards a political transition leading to inclusive civilian rule.

He confirmed that the participating parties expressed agreement on the importance of shielding the political path from regional and international influences that hinder settlement efforts, noting that discussions also addressed mechanisms to support civil institutions and enhance their role in the upcoming phase.

For his part, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and researcher at the Middle East Institute in Washington, David Shinn, believes that "it seems that the Trump administration has given the task of ending the war in Sudan to Musaad Boulos".

Expert Shinn pointed out that the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces have shown no serious willingness to end the conflict, and if this initiative fails, it is unclear what steps the Quartet or the United States will take, as they have not proposed any plan for action if these efforts fail.

No Solution Plan

Musaad Boulos had previously affirmed that "Sudan will be a priority in the coming phase"; however, there are difficulties related to weak coordination within President Donald Trump's administration, along with conflicting regional agendas and Washington's mixed and complicated relations with these powers.

On her part, researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Areej Al-Haj, believes in a report published by the institute that "the practical efforts led by the United States do not call for opening direct negotiations between the Sudanese army leadership and the Rapid Support Forces, but are presented as an attempt to form an internationally coordinated platform to manage the balance of power in Sudan through pressure when needed, and to create favorable conditions for a successful political process".

Meanwhile, expert in the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Cameron Hudson, states, "There is no plan from the Trump administration to resolve the crisis in Sudan; they seem to think that just inviting people to Washington and that the magic of the State Department will make them agree".

Hudson clarifies that "this meeting was hurriedly conducted without an agenda or preparation. You cannot expect to achieve a breakthrough based solely on wishes; it is not a strategy".

Bias and Interests

Commenting on what transpired in Washington, Ameen Hassan Omar, former advisor to ousted President Omar Al-Bashir, criticized what he described as "the biased American approach" in dealing with the Sudanese crisis. He believes that the United States is unqualified to make peace in Sudan because it does not recognize the legitimate authority and does not seek solutions that reflect the Sudanese reality, but imposes a narrative that serves its regional and international interests.

Omar accused Washington in a post on his Facebook page of seeking to completely subjugate Sudan rather than support it, as well as wanting to distance Sudan from China, Russia, and Turkey, monopolize the minerals and rare elements sector, and impose arrangements in the Red Sea that serve the security of the Israeli entity.

Meanwhile, political analyst Faisal Abdul Karim believes that the Quartet round in Washington did not reach a dead end, and that the U.S. administration is seeking to address differences in the positions of the Quartet parties and has made progress in this regard.

According to Abdul Karim, there are no serious efforts to end the war in Sudan other than the "Quartet" initiative, and its stagnation means prolonging the war's duration and facing grim scenarios for the country. He anticipated an invitation for the army and the Rapid Support Forces to negotiations in the Saudi city of Jeddah soon after reaching a declaration of principles between them through direct communications from Boulos with both sides.

Source: Al Jazeera