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Sudan Adopts ‘Jeddah Platform’ as Single Platform for Negotiation

A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (File photo: Reuters)
A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (File photo: Reuters)
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Sudan Adopts ‘Jeddah Platform’ as Single Platform for Negotiation

A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (File photo: Reuters)
A man walks while smoke rises above buildings after aerial bombardment during clashes between the Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum (File photo: Reuters)

Sudan renewed on Friday its adoption of the Jeddah Platform as the sole proposal for negotiations with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and affirmed its categorical rejection of any talks outside of Jeddah.
After a joint meeting with the Sovereignty Council in the temporary alternative capital, Port Sudan, the government rejected peace talks outside the Jeddah process, asserting that it is the only platform to "negotiate the war imposed by the rebel militias," referring to the RSF.
The designated Minister of Information, Graham Abdel Gader, explained that the government of Sudan will not sit or negotiate with the Rapid Support Forces on any other platform, asserting that any claims or rumors about online negotiations or any other place are "false and baseless."
Abdel Gader reiterated that engagements with regional or international actors must occur within the Jeddah framework.
The joint meeting was chaired by Army Commander Lt-Gen Abdul Fattah Al-Burhan and attended by his deputy, Malik Aqar, along with other members, including Lt-Gen Shamseddine Kabashi and Ibrahim Jaber.
The Minister of Information said the meeting addressed the "government's priorities," the 2024 federal budget, and the efforts to achieve peace and protect citizens.
The meeting also discussed resolving what he described as "rebellion," asserting the need for RSF rebels to leave the homes of citizens and the government, service, and other institutions they occupied.
Observers suggested that these statements hint at an imminent return to the Jeddah platform, which has been suspended for months.
- Non-adherence
Last May, Jeddah hosted the Saudi-US initiative for talks between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which led to the signing of the Jeddah Declaration stipulating the protection of civilians and private and public facilities and refraining from using them for military purposes.
However, the two parties did not adhere to the agreement and returned to negotiations again in October last year.
The new round was met with intransigence from both sides, forcing the mediators, namely Riyadh and Washington, to suspend the negotiations.
The dispute between the two warring parties focused on the "Rapid Support" adherence to the necessity of arresting Islamist leaders of the former regime headed by Omar al-Bashir, who was released from prison.
The army insisted on the need for the Rapid Support Forces to leave the cities it occupied.
- IGAD Summit 41
After the failure of the Jeddah negotiations, the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) initiated African mediation and assigned, in June 2023, a quartet committee headed by Kenya, with the membership of South Sudan, Djibouti, and Ethiopia, for the negotiations.
Khartoum rejected the Kenyan presidency, claiming Kenyan President William Ruto sided with the Rapid Support Forces.
IGAD held a direct meeting between Burhan and RSF chief Hamdan Dagalo. But the Authority later postponed the meeting, citing "technical reasons."
Shortly after, Burhan made a surprise visit to Kenya, during which he held meetings with President Ruto and agreed on an emergency summit of presidents to establish a framework for the Sudanese dialogue.
In December, the IGAD 41st Extraordinary was held in Djibouti in the presence of Burhan and Dagalo. Interlocutors agreed to end the war without conditions and called for the postponed meeting between the two leaders.
The Sudanese Foreign Ministry rejected the summit's final statement, and Burhan refused to meet Dagalo.
- IGAD Summit 42
The Sudanese army boycotted the 42nd emergency IGAD summit, which was held in Uganda in January, in protest against RSF "Hemedti's" participation.
However, the summit continued its work in the absence of Sudan and decided to form an "international mechanism" based on the African Union's (AU) vision, which consists of a ceasefire and turning Khartoum into a demilitarized zone.
It also aims to deploy African forces to guard strategic institutions in the capital and combine the visions of the Jeddah platform and IGAD.

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Arab World

Jordan Stops Fighters Attempting to Enter from Syria, Armed Forces Say

Jordanian soldiers on the border with Syria. (AP file)
Jordanian soldiers on the border with Syria. (AP file)
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Jordan Stops Fighters Attempting to Enter from Syria, Armed Forces Say

Jordanian soldiers on the border with Syria. (AP file)
Jordanian soldiers on the border with Syria. (AP file)

Jordanian border guards stopped a group of 14 armed individuals attempting to cross ‌into ‌northern Jordan from ‌Syria, ⁠the armed forces ⁠said in a statement on Saturday.

The group ⁠tried to ‌infiltrate on ‌Friday under ‌heavy ‌fire and direct engagement, causing numerous casualties ‌among the armed group, while ⁠the remaining ⁠members fled back into Syria, the armed forces said.

Tensions between the neighbors are high after Jordanian strikes in southern Syria in retaliation for a deadly church attack in the kingdom last week that Amman linked to militants operating across the border.

Syria said the strikes killed seven ⁠people, including three children and a woman. Jordan said it regretted the civilian casualties.

Arab World

Egypt Fears Escalation in Iran War Would Be More Destructive, Foreign Minister Says

26 October 2026, Egypt, New Administrative Capital: Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attends a press conference at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the New Administrative Capital near Cairo. Photo: Michael Brandt/dpa
26 October 2026, Egypt, New Administrative Capital: Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attends a press conference at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the New Administrative Capital near Cairo. Photo: Michael Brandt/dpa
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Egypt Fears Escalation in Iran War Would Be More Destructive, Foreign Minister Says

26 October 2026, Egypt, New Administrative Capital: Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attends a press conference at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the New Administrative Capital near Cairo. Photo: Michael Brandt/dpa
26 October 2026, Egypt, New Administrative Capital: Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty attends a press conference at the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the New Administrative Capital near Cairo. Photo: Michael Brandt/dpa

Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said on Saturday he was "extremely worried" that a new escalation in the war between the United States and Iran would be more destructive and have a major ‌impact.

He was ‌speaking at the ‌IISS ⁠Manama Dialogue security ⁠summit in Bahrain.

"The second round will be more dangerous, more destructive, and it will lead to nowhere. We have to draw lessons from the past," ⁠he said.

An interim agreement ‌reached in ‌June failed to secure a lasting ‌ceasefire in the Iran war ‌or restore normal shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has since proposed that Washington lift its ‌blockade of Iranian ports in exchange for Tehran reopening the ⁠disrupted ⁠waterway within seven days.

Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday in a renewed effort to broker a deal, but the sides remain divided over whether nuclear negotiations or relief from the blockade and oil sanctions should come first.

Arab World

Lebanon Draws Up Plan to Govern 12 Palestinian Refugee Camps

The Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in southern Beirut. (AFP file)
The Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in southern Beirut. (AFP file)
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Lebanon Draws Up Plan to Govern 12 Palestinian Refugee Camps

The Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in southern Beirut. (AFP file)
The Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in southern Beirut. (AFP file)

Lebanon has begun addressing the governance of its Palestinian refugee camps, seeking to establish a framework for security, administration and services in a system where responsibilities overlap among Palestinian factions, popular committees, state institutions and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday launched consultations on a plan prepared by the Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee, headed by Ambassador Ramez Dimashkieh, before its final version is submitted to the Cabinet.

Salam stressed that Palestinian refugee camps fall under Lebanese sovereignty and are subject to Lebanese law.

“The presence of state institutions in the camps must become clear and consistent,” he declared.

He linked the governance initiative to the National Accord Document, the state’s exclusive control over weapons and its sole authority to decide on war and peace.

Salam also referred to the understanding reached between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in May 2025, as well as steps already taken to address the issue of Palestinian weapons.

He stressed that the initiative would cover security, the rule of law, and social, economic and service-related conditions.

The prime minister revealed that a draft law was being prepared to regulate refugees’ rights and obligations, including employment and social security.

He reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to the Palestinian right of return and its rejection of permanent resettlement, stressing that UNRWA and the international community must continue to bear responsibility for refugee services, without the Lebanese state replacing the agency.

For his part, Dimashkieh described the launch of consultations on a national plan to govern Palestinian refugee camps as an unprecedented step toward establishing a unified Lebanese state vision for their management and administration.

The camps are located on Lebanese territory and fall under Lebanese sovereignty, and that any new arrangements would be developed through partnership and dialogue with all Palestinian groups, without exception, he stressed.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Dimashkieh explained that the initiative could be the first of its kind in Lebanon’s history of dealing with Palestinian refugee camps.

“For the first time, consultations are being launched to develop a unified Lebanese state plan for managing and governing the camps, rather than having each institution continue to deal with the issue separately, according to its own area of responsibility,” he noted.

The main problem, according to Dimashkieh, has been the absence of coordination and a common vision among the institutions involved, including the security services and Lebanese Army, governorates and municipalities, the ministries of health and labor, and UNRWA.

“Each institution viewed conditions in the camps from its own perspective, without an overarching framework to organize responsibilities and mechanisms for addressing the various issues,” he explained.

Dimashkieh revealed that consultations would continue over the next six months, bringing together the relevant Lebanese and Palestinian parties to reach the best possible formula for governing the camps.

Discussions will cover security, administrative and legal matters, including the role of security forces, the possible adoption of community policing and issues falling within the jurisdiction of the Justice Ministry and other relevant institutions.

He stressed that Palestinians would be key partners throughout the process, with no group excluded.

“The aim is to listen to everyone and reach a formula that commands the broadest possible consensus.”

Dimashkieh further underscored the growing urgency of reorganizing camp administration, particularly as the demographic composition of some camps has changed considerably.

“In some camps, Palestinians now account for only around 30% of residents, compared with approximately 70% who are Syrians or people of other nationalities,” he pointed out.

These demographic shifts require both Lebanese and Palestinian authorities to reconsider how the camps are administered and how their circumstances are addressed, he explained.

As for the next steps, Dimashkieh said that the proposal agreed upon after consultations and the identification of mechanisms for addressing the issue would be submitted to the Lebanese Cabinet for a decision.

12 camps and a legacy dating back to the Cairo Agreement

Lebanon’s 12 official Palestinian refugee camps are spread across several regions.

Five are in the south: Ain al-Hilweh, Mieh Mieh, Rashidieh, Burj al-Shemali and Al-Buss.

Four are in Beirut and Mount Lebanon: Burj al-Barajneh, Shatila, Mar Elias and Dbayeh.

Two are in the north, Beddawi and Nahr al-Bared, while the Bekaa Valley hosts the Jalil camp in Baalbek.

The number of registered Palestinian refugees differs considerably from the number actually residing in Lebanon.

UNRWA had approximately 488,000 refugees registered as of June 2025, while a 2017 Lebanese-Palestinian census counted around 174,000 Palestinians living in camps and gatherings, using a different methodology.

The UN agency’s registration figures do not constitute a census of current residents.

The roots of the camps’ special security arrangements date to the 1969 Cairo Agreement, which the Lebanese parliament annulled in 1987.

Nevertheless, Palestinian popular committees and factions have continued to play roles in the camps.

In 2025, factions affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization handed over weapons to the Lebanese Army. However, the issue of arms held by all Palestinian organizations has yet to be fully resolved.