Burhan Suspends Sudan's Membership in IGAD

Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and commander of the Sudanese Army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (File photo: Reuters)
Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and commander of the Sudanese Army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (File photo: Reuters)
TT

Burhan Suspends Sudan's Membership in IGAD

Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and commander of the Sudanese Army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (File photo: Reuters)
Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and commander of the Sudanese Army Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (File photo: Reuters)

Head of Sudan's Transitional Sovereignty Council and Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan officially suspended the country's membership in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

He made the announcement following an emergency IGAD summit that renewed the call for a direct meeting between Burhan and head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry, Burhan sent a letter to Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleho, the current chair of the bloc, to inform him of the "Sudanese government's decision to suspend its membership in this organization."

The ministry added that the final communique of the 42nd summit included language that Sudan deemed "disrespectful to its sovereignty and offensive to the families of victims of atrocities committed by rebel militias."

The letter made it clear that the government is not obligated and is not concerned with what is issued by IGAD regarding Sudanese affairs.

On Thursday, the IGAD summit in Uganda said the leaders of Sudan's army and RSF must have a face-to-face meeting within two weeks. It reiterated its call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire" in the conflict between the military and RSF.

It stressed that the member states will use all means and capabilities to ensure a peaceful resolution of the conflict, which erupted in mid-April 2023.

The heads of state and governments directed the IGAD General Secretariat and the African Union (AU) to begin joint consultations with the warring parties and stakeholders to launch a political process within a month that will end with the formation of a democratic government.

The Sovereignty Council believed there was no need for the summit before the implementation of the outcomes of the previous summit in Djibouti on December 28.

Last Tuesday, the Sudanese Foreign Ministry announced the cessation of engagement and freezing of dealings with IGAD regarding the current crisis in Sudan.

On Saturday, the Sudanese Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, said it regretted the statements of the Foreign Ministry, considering that it had taken a "hostile turn towards the regional and international environment."

Taqaddum asserted the regional and international consensus to stop the war, stressing that the Sudanese must unite and work to stop the war.

Meanwhile, the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) welcomed the decisions of the Uganda summit and efforts to end the war by facilitating a Sudanese political process that ends with the formation of transitional democratic civil governance institutions.

The FFC regretted the army commander's boycott of the summit, hoping he would respond to the voices calling for a ceasefire.

The coalition reiterated its adherence to its principled position, calling for ending the war, achieving peace, and establishing a sustainable democratic civil transition.

It reaffirmed its position on launching a political process that only excludes the dissolved National Congress Party, its affiliated Islamic Movement, and all its affiliates under various names.

Furthermore, President of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit appealed for an immediate opening of humanitarian corridors for essential services to reach the Sudanese people.

In Kampala, Kiir discussed with Hemedti recent developments in Sudan.

According to a post on his X account, Hemedti presented his vision for halting the conflict as soon as possible, establishing a reborn Sudan founded on the principles of justice and equality, and forming a unified professional national army led by a civilian democratic government, which will propel the country forward and end the longstanding cycle of wars.

IGAD had invited Hemedti to the emergency summit in Kampala, where he hoped efforts would achieve peace and stability in Sudan.



Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
TT

Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).