IGAD: No Initiative to Resolve Sudan Crisis

IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu. (IGAD)
IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu. (IGAD)
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IGAD: No Initiative to Resolve Sudan Crisis

IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu. (IGAD)
IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu. (IGAD)

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) said on Tuesday it will not propose an initiative to resolve the political crisis in Sudan that erupted in wake of the October 2021 military coup.

IGAD’s role will be restricted to helping Sudan get out of this crisis, and to submitting reports to the Authority at the meeting to be held on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa next week.

“We are convinced that IGAD’s efforts should be limited to supporting the people of Sudan in facing the crisis. We do not want to dispel efforts, so we will not present a parallel initiative to solve the current crisis in the country,” IGAD’s Executive Secretary Workneh Gebeyehu said in a press conference concluding his visit to Khartoum.

Gebeyehu had arrived in the Sudanese capital on Sunday for a three-day visit, to hold talks with the military and political leaders.

“We know that the Sudanese are capable to prudently address the challenges they face. As a regional organization, of which Sudan is a member, we have come to assist the efforts made by its people,” Gebeyehu said.

He added that IGAD insists on playing a role in Khartoum by coordinating with the African Union and other international players.

“Accordingly, we held consultations with diplomatic representatives in Sudan, and we agreed not to present multiple parallel initiatives,” he stressed.

During his visit, Gebeyehu held talks with head of the Sovereign Transitional Council General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, as well as foreign diplomats and Sudanese political forces, during which he was briefed on the development of the situation and efforts to address the crisis.

His visit is the first direct official action by the African body since the Oct. 25 military coup.

The army takeover halted a power sharing arrangement between the military and civilians negotiated in 2019 after a popular uprising that forced the removal of longtime president Omar al-Bashir and his government.



Lebanon, Israel Ceasefire Deal Will Take Place in Three Phases and ‘Simultaneous’ Withdrawals

 Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP)
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Lebanon, Israel Ceasefire Deal Will Take Place in Three Phases and ‘Simultaneous’ Withdrawals

 Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP)

Informed sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that US-President elect Donald Trump agreed on the steps that President Joe Biden’s administration will take to ensure the success of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

Israel approved the ceasefire on Tuesday night after Lebanon had already agreed to it.

The sources, which followed up on the negotiations for the 60-day truce, said the steps call for the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters and their weapons from the South where the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is deployed. In return, Israeli forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon.

More negotiations through American mediators will take place throughout the process.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Trump “gave his blessing” to the process during his meeting with Biden at the White House two weeks ago.

A committee led by the US will oversee the implementation of the withdrawal. France, Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL are also part of the committee.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Hezbollah’s withdrawal will take place in three 20-day phases. The first withdrawal will take place in the western sector.

It will coincide with an Israeli pullout from areas it occupied in that region. A strengthened Lebanese army force and UNIFIL troops will deploy in their place.

The second phase will cover the central sector and follow the same process.

The residents of the frontline southern villages will not be allowed to return to their homes immediately until they are deemed safe and after ensuring that no Hezbollah members or weapons remain there.

Residents of the so-called second and third line of villages south of the Litani River will be allowed to return to their homes immediately.

The source expected the US to play an “effective role” in the mechanism to oversee the withdrawal. It did not clarify whether any American forces will take part in the process.

It revealed that Britain and other countries will “exert special efforts to verify whether illegitimate weapons are being smuggled to Hezbollah.”

The five-member committee will not replace the tripartite committee already in place and that includes Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL.