Egypt to Host Conference for Sudan’s Civilian Political Groups in June

The summit of Sudan’s Neighboring States held in Cairo in July 2023 (Egyptian Presidency)
The summit of Sudan’s Neighboring States held in Cairo in July 2023 (Egyptian Presidency)
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Egypt to Host Conference for Sudan’s Civilian Political Groups in June

The summit of Sudan’s Neighboring States held in Cairo in July 2023 (Egyptian Presidency)
The summit of Sudan’s Neighboring States held in Cairo in July 2023 (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt will host a conference next month bringing together Sudanese civilian political groups to produce an agreement on ways to build a comprehensive and permanent peace, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

The conference will be held with the participation of relevant regional and international partners, the ministry said in statement.

The aim of the conference is to reach a consensus among the various Sudanese civilian political groups on ways to build comprehensive and lasting peace in Sudan through a Sudanese-Sudanese national dialogue based on a purely Sudanese vision, it noted.

Sudan has been gripped since April 202 by a civil war between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The conflict has displaced nearly 6 million people within Sudan, and driven over 2 million people into five neighboring countries, according to UN estimates.

The ministry said Egypt’s invitation comes from a firm belief that the current conflict in Sudan is primarily a Sudanese issue, and that any future political process should include all active national parties on the Sudanese scene, and within the framework of respecting the principles of Sudan's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, non-interference in its internal affairs, and preserving the state and its institutions.

The invitation, it added, comes within the framework of Egypt's keenness to make all possible efforts to assist Sudan in overcoming the crisis it is facing and addressing its serious repercussions on the Sudanese people and the security and stability of the region, especially Sudan's neighboring countries.

“This is in light of the deep historical, social, fraternal and deep ties that bind the Egyptian and Sudanese peoples together and based on Egypt's commitment to supporting all efforts to achieve peace and stability in Sudan,” the ministry said.

It affirmed that the conference is part of Cairo’s ongoing efforts and endeavors to stop the war in Sudan, and within the framework of cooperation and integration with the efforts of regional and international partners, especially Sudan's neighboring countries, the parties to the Jeddah talks, the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League, and the IGAD organization.

Therefore, the ministry said that Egypt looks forward to the active participation of all Sudanese civil political forces and relevant regional and international partners, and to join hands to ensure the success of the conference in achieving the aspirations of the Sudanese people.

Dr. Amani Al-Taweel, director of the African program at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, stressed the importance of Egypt’s decision to host the conference.

She told Asharq Al-Awsat the invitation is based on Cairo's involvement in efforts to solve the crisis in Sudan, through its hosting of the Neighboring States Summit and a meeting of the Sudanese political forces.

Also, she added, this invitation comes after Cairo welcomed last March former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, who represents a Sudanese bloc different from the forces that had met in Egypt.

“Egypt is therefore qualified to play an important role in the next phase, especially amid its ongoing consultations with the US envoy to Sudan and with regional partners, mainly Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” Al-Taweel said.

Former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister Ambassador Ali al-Hafni hoped Cairo’s invitation will be welcomed by all Sudanese forces.

“The upcoming conference will provide the right conditions and place to bring the Sudanese parties around one table with hopes to reach an understanding and put an end to the internal strife, stop the bloodshed, allow the return of displaced Sudanese, and facilitate the delivery of aid,” al-Hafni told Asharq Al-Awsat.



Lebanon’s PM Visits Syrian President to Discuss Border Demarcation and Security

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
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Lebanon’s PM Visits Syrian President to Discuss Border Demarcation and Security

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam meets with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria April 14, 2025. (Dalati & Nohra/Handout via Reuters)

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam led a high-level ministerial delegation to Syria on Monday for talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the most significant diplomatic visit between the two countries since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December.

"My visit to Damascus today aims to open a new page in the history of relations between the two countries, based on mutual respect, restoring trust, good neighborliness," Salam said in a statement on X.

At the center of discussions was implementing a March 28 agreement signed in Saudi Arabia by the Syrian and Lebanese defense ministers to demarcate land and sea borders and improve coordination on border security issues, Salam said in the statement.

The Lebanese-Syrian border witnessed deadly clashes earlier this year and years of unrest in the frontier regions, which have been plagued by weapons and illicit drug smuggling through illegal crossings.

During Monday’s meeting, Salam and Sharaa agreed to form a joint ministerial committee to oversee the implementation of the border agreement, close illegal crossings and suppress smuggling activity along the border.

The border area, especially near Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and Syria’s Qusayr region, has long been a corridor for illicit trade, arms trafficking, and the movement of fighters — including Hezbollah fighters who backed the Assad government during Syria’s 14-year civil war.

Hezbollah has been significantly weakened in its recent war with Israel and since Assad's ousting, it lost several key smuggling routes it once relied on for weapons transfers.

Lebanon also pressed Syria to provide clarity on the fate of thousands of Lebanese nationals who were forcibly disappeared or imprisoned in Syrian jails in the 1980s and 1990s, during Syria’s nearly 30-year military presence in Lebanon. Human rights groups have long documented the lack of accountability and transparency regarding these cases, with families of the missing holding regular demonstrations in Beirut demanding answers.

Syrian officials for their part raised the issue of Syrian nationals detained in Lebanese prisons, Salam said. Many of the detainees were arrested for illegal entry or alleged involvement in militant activity. Rights advocates in both countries have criticized the lack of due process in many of these cases and the poor conditions inside detention facilities.

Lebanon pledged to hand over people implicated in crimes committed by the Assad government and security forces, many of whom are believed to have fled to Lebanon after the government’s collapse, if found on Lebanese soil, a ministerial source told The Associated Press.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to publicly comment.

In return, Lebanese officials requested the extradition of Syrians wanted in Lebanese courts for high-profile political assassinations, "most notably those involved in the bombing of the Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam mosques, those convicted of assassinating President Bashir Gemayel, and other crimes for which the Assad regime is accused," Salam said.

For decades, Lebanon witnessed a long series of politically motivated assassinations targeting journalists, politicians and security officials, particularly those opposed to Syrian influence. The 2013 twin bombings of the Al-Taqwa and Al-Salam mosques in Tripoli in northern Lebanon killed more than 40 people and intensified sectarian tensions already heightened by the spillover from the Syrian war.

Syria has never officially acknowledged involvement in any of Lebanon’s political assassinations.

Salam said he also pushed for renewed cooperation on the return of Syrian refugees.

Lebanese government officials estimate the country hosts about 1.5 million Syrian refugees, of whom about 755,000 are officially registered with the UN refugee agency, or UNHCR, making it the country with the highest number of refugees per capita in the world.

While Lebanese authorities have long urged the international community to support large-scale repatriation efforts, human rights organizations have cautioned against forced returns, citing ongoing security concerns and a lack of guarantees in Syria.

Since the fall of Assad in December, an estimated 400,000 refugees have returned to Syria from neighboring countries, according to UNHCR, with about half of them coming from Lebanon, but many are hesitant to return because of the dire economic situation and fears of continuing instability in Syria.