Tebboune, Burhan Warn Against ‘Foreign Interferences’ in Sudan

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Sudan's Sovereign Council General Abdulfattah al-Burhan in Algeria (Algerian Presidency)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Sudan's Sovereign Council General Abdulfattah al-Burhan in Algeria (Algerian Presidency)
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Tebboune, Burhan Warn Against ‘Foreign Interferences’ in Sudan

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Sudan's Sovereign Council General Abdulfattah al-Burhan in Algeria (Algerian Presidency)
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Sudan's Sovereign Council General Abdulfattah al-Burhan in Algeria (Algerian Presidency)

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune affirmed his country's support for Sudan to overcome "difficult circumstances" and confront "evil forces" targeting it.
On Sunday, Tebboune received the Head of Sudan's Sovereign Council, General Abdulfattah al-Burhan, who started a two-day official visit to Algeria.
Tebboune received Burhan at the presidential headquarters, and together, they held bilateral talks and then chaired expanded discussions that included the two countries’ delegations.
During a joint press conference in Algiers, Tebboune asserted that Algeria "stands by Sudan to overcome the difficult circumstances and confront the forces of evil targeting it."
Tebboune said Algeria always supports Sudan, speaking of the "centuries-old relations" that unite their "two brotherly nations."
Burhan welcomed every action taken by Algeria, whether at the Arab or African level, to resolve the crisis in Sudan, warning that "Sudan is facing a conspiracy with the complicity of international and regional partners."
The Sudanese leader thanked Algeria, which he said had been "present at every Arab or regional discussion or negotiation."
Meanwhile, the Sudan Liberation Army Movement, led by Darfur governor Minni Arko Minawi, arrived Sunday in Gedaref, eastern Sudan.
Gedaref governor-designate, Mohamed Mahjoub, told the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) that Minawi's forces will participate with the Sudanese army to secure the country's state and eastern borders.
Mahjoub pointed out that the armed forces, the movement's forces, and the parties that signed the Juba Peace Agreement have been in coordination since they announced their support for the armed forces following the outbreak of war with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The Sudan Liberation Army Movement's advisor for reconciliation and social peace, Brigadier General Yahya Hassanein, confirmed that his forces will support the armed forces in defending the country and ensure the unity of its people.
Hassanein said he was looking forward to increasing joint work with the state in many different aspects.
Furthermore, a delegation from the Coordination of Civil Democratic Forces (Taqaddum), led by former Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok, is scheduled to head to South Sudan within days.
Taqaddum spokesman Alaeddine Naqd stated that Hamdok is expected to hold discussions with officials in Juba and President Salva Kiir Mayardit.
Naqd told Asharq Al-Awsat that the civil forces delegation will arrive in Juba at the end of this month to meet with South Sudan officials.
He explained that the meetings would discuss putting an end to the war and address South Sudan's role in achieving peace. He said officials are preparing for a meeting between the Taqaddum delegation and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North, led by Abdulaziz al-Hilu, and the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Abdul Wahid Mohammad Nur.
The spokesman said the meetings aim to unify the forces opposed to the war, explaining that efforts are underway to organize a meeting with the two men.
Taqaddum sent two letters to Hilu and Nur calling them to a meeting to unify civil forces, and they responded by welcoming the efforts.
The Coordination also sent two letters to the Sudanese Communist Party and the Arab Socialist Baath Party for a meeting to unify efforts against war.
Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that all components of Taqaddum are expected to participate in the Juba meetings.

The sources, who requested anonymity, said the broad participation aims to reflect diversity and present Taqaddum's road map and the Addis Ababa Declaration signed by the RSF leader.
They indicated that efforts are underway for a meeting between Burhan and Taqaddum's officials.



Sudanese Stakeholders Hold Roundtable Talks in Geneva

A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
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Sudanese Stakeholders Hold Roundtable Talks in Geneva

A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)

Geneva has hosted a third “roundtable” of meetings involving Sudanese political and civil groups aimed at bridging the gap between the country’s warring parties. These talks, coordinated by the French organization Promediation, follow similar meetings held previously in Cairo and Geneva. The primary goals are to negotiate a ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians.

The two-day meetings, which began on Monday, include representatives from the Coordination of Democratic Civil Forces (Tagadum), the pro-army Democratic Bloc coalition, and armed movements aligned with the bloc. However, some groups have announced their boycott of the meetings.

The Democratic Bloc has shown conflicting stances on attending the Geneva talks. Mohammed Zakaria, spokesperson for the bloc and a member of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), announced his group’s decision not to participate.

Omar Khalafallah, a leader in the Democratic Unionist Party and another bloc spokesperson, refuted Zakaria’s statement, insisting that the bloc would attend the meetings to promote a national vision.

A source within the Democratic Bloc told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meetings revealed significant internal divisions in the coalition. The JEM, led by current Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, appears to be charting its own course, which the source described as a form of defection.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Sharif Mohammed Osman, a leader in Tagadum and the political secretary of the Sudanese Congress Party, explained that the meetings seek to achieve consensus on ending the war through negotiated solutions, starting with a humanitarian truce to ensure aid delivery and the opening of safe corridors.

These measures are considered preliminary steps toward a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict, he underlined.

A wide array of civilian leaders are participating in the talks, including key figures from Tagadum, such as Sudanese Congress Party leader Omar Al-Dukair, Federal Gathering Party leader Babiker Faisal, and head of the Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council Al-Hadi Idris.

Osman expressed optimism that the participants would issue a unified final statement addressing the peaceful resolution of the war and agreeing on a humanitarian truce to facilitate aid delivery.

In October, Cairo hosted a similar meeting, which resulted in a final statement signed by the participating groups, except for the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi faction and the JEM – Jibril Ibrahim faction, which refused to endorse the Cairo declaration despite attending the discussions.

Promediation, a French organization supported by the French and Swiss foreign ministries, has played a consistent role in Sudanese affairs. Since June 2022, it has organized roundtable discussions, initially focusing on negotiations between Darfuri armed movements before expanding its scope to include Sudanese political and civil forces in the wake of the war.