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Djibouti FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Are Seeking Meeting with Representatives of Burhan, Hemedti

Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Djibouti FM to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Are Seeking Meeting with Representatives of Burhan, Hemedti

Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf revealed that the presidents of Djibouti, South Sudan, and Kenya are anticipating a cessation of hostilities in Sudan.

He also said the heads of states are hoping that “formal and effective” mediation prevails between Sudan’s warring factions.

Clashes between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in mid-April, killing hundreds and injuring thousands more.

Regional African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), after a virtual summit in April, said it plans to send the presidents of Kenya, South Sudan, and Djibouti as soon as possible to reconcile conflicting Sudan groups.

“We are currently seeking a meeting between representatives of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the Sovereign Council and commander of the Sudanese army, and his deputy, commander of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Daglo, with representatives of the three countries to execute the IGAD mission,” Youssouf told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The top diplomat stated that Burhan and Hemedti have “already agreed in principle to the mediation, but the ceasefire remains a problem.”

A cessation of hostilities is a fundamental requirement for the presidents of South Sudan, Kenya, and Djibouti to arrive in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.

“We are simply waiting for the ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities to be respected, so that the presidents can travel to Khartoum,” affirmed Youssouf.

“We have decided to hold a meeting between representatives of Burhan and Hemedti with the foreign ministers of the three countries in any of their respective countries, in order to pave the way for the visit,” he added.

According to Youssouf, the current situation in Sudan is a “disaster in every sense of the word.”

Despite challenges and delays, the transitional period had been making progress until recently.

“The disaster was a result of the contradictions within the Sudanese military establishment,” explained Youssouf.

The minister expressed his desire for a more prominent and effective Arab role, stating that the Arab League should take a greater role in the Sudan crisis, given the country's integral role in the Arab world.

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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)

Italy plans to send an ambassador back to Syria after a decade-long absence, the country’s foreign minister said, in a diplomatic move that could spark divisions among European Union allies.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in front of relevant parliamentary committees Thursday, announced Rome’s intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria to prevent Russia from monopolizing diplomatic efforts in the Middle Eastern country.

Moscow is considered a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has remained in power despite widespread Western isolation and civilian casualties since the start of Syria’s civil war in March 2011.

Peaceful protests against the Assad government — part of the so-called “Arab Spring” popular uprisings that spread across some of the Middle East — were met by a brutal crackdown, and the uprising quickly spiraled into a full-blown civil war.

The conflict was further complicated by the intervention of foreign forces on all sides and a rising militancy, first by al-Qaida-linked groups and then the ISIS group until its defeat on the battlefield in 2019.

The war, which has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, is now largely frozen, despite ongoing low-level fighting.

The country is effectively carved up into areas controlled by the Damascus-based government of Assad, various opposition groups and Syrian Kurdish forces.

In the early days of the conflict, many Western and Arab countries cut off relations with Syria, including Italy, which has since managed Syria-related diplomacy through its embassy in Beirut.

However, since Assad has regained control over most of the territory, neighboring Arab countries have gradually restored relations, with the most symbolically significant move coming last year when Syria was re-admitted to the Arab League.

Tajani said Thursday the EU’s policy in Syria should be adapted to the “development of the situation,” adding that Italy has received support from Austria, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Slovakia.

However, the US and allied countries in Europe have largely continued to hold firm in their stance against Assad’s government, due to concerns over human rights violations.