Washington Calls on Sudanese Army to Cede Power to Civilian-Led Gov’t

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Washington Calls on Sudanese Army to Cede Power to Civilian-Led Gov’t

US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, held talks with the Sudanese army leadership during her five-day visit to Khartoum last week.

The visit was aimed at encouraging the Sudanese to make progress in their efforts to establish a framework for a civilian-led transitional government.

She underscored the urgent imperative of ceding power to a civilian-led transitional government and made clear there would be no resumption of US assistance until the democratic transition is restored.

In a statement published on the official Facebook page of the US embassy in Khartoum, Phee said that the time has come for constructive dialogue and action to establish a civilian-led transitional framework.

She pressed for implementation of confidence-building measures, especially holding accountable those responsible for the deaths of 100 protestors, and for an end to the violence against protestors, including sexual and gender-based violence, suffered by thousands more.

“In a decisive meeting brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia on June 9, key actors took steps to build the confidence necessary to enable the inclusive participation of civilian stakeholders in the political process facilitated by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission to Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union (AU), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to restore a civilian-led transition to democracy,” the statement read.

Phee affirmed that the United States remains committed to a strong partnership with the people of Sudan in support of their aspirations for freedom, peace, and justice.

The statement further pointed out that Phee met with leaders across the political spectrum, including a broad cross-section of civil society and Resistance Committee representatives, medical doctors and attorneys, women activists, families of martyrs in the pro-democracy struggle, and representatives of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front.

In all of these engagements, the US top official underscored the need for immediate progress and reiterated strong US support for the Sudanese people’s democratic aspirations.



Gazans Must Return Home, EU Plans to Tell Israel 

A Palestinian man and two girls stand a mid of the rubble of homes, destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive against Hamas in in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP)
A Palestinian man and two girls stand a mid of the rubble of homes, destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive against Hamas in in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP)
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Gazans Must Return Home, EU Plans to Tell Israel 

A Palestinian man and two girls stand a mid of the rubble of homes, destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive against Hamas in in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP)
A Palestinian man and two girls stand a mid of the rubble of homes, destroyed by the Israeli army's air and ground offensive against Hamas in in Bureij refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. (AP)

The EU plans to tell Israel next week that Palestinians uprooted from their Gaza homes should be ensured a dignified return and that Europe will contribute to rebuilding the shattered territory, according to a document seen by Reuters.

That echoes Arab positions but conflicts with President Donald Trump's stated aim for the US to take over the shattered coastal strip and rebuild it into a "Riviera of the Middle East" while Gazans emigrate to other nations.

The EU, which has been a major aid provider to Palestinians, is to outline its position to Israeli officials in talks in Brussels on February 24 as part of the EU-Israel Association Council, the first such session since 2022.

A document outlining the draft EU position emphasizes both Europe's commitment to Israel's security and its view that "displaced Gazans should be ensured a safe and dignified return to their homes in Gaza".

"The EU will actively contribute to a coordinated international effort to early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza," it said, also calling for full humanitarian access.

"The EU deeply deplores the unacceptable number of civilians, especially women and children, who have lost their lives, and the catastrophic humanitarian situation notably caused by the insufficient entry of aid into Gaza, in particular in the North."

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after fighters from the Palestinian group Hamas stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 48,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials. Much of the enclave has been laid waste with most of its 2.3 million pre-war population displaced multiple times, humanitarian agencies say.

"The EU strongly opposes all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solution," the document added, referring to its position that Palestinians should have an independent homeland alongside Israel.