Sudan’s Army-Aligned Government Rejects East African Summit and UN Engagement with Rival Paramilitary Forces
Sudan’s army-aligned government has declined an invitation to an East African summit and criticized the United Nations for engaging with the commander of rival paramilitary forces. The regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been at war for nine months, with the army losing territory while paramilitary leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo gains diplomatic standing.
The invitation from the East African bloc IGAD to a summit in Uganda on January 18, which would also be attended by Dagalo, was rejected by Sudan’s transitional sovereign council. The council, headed by army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, stated that the events in Sudan are an internal matter. IGAD has repeatedly tried to mediate between Sudan’s warring generals, but their efforts have been ignored by Burhan’s government.
In contrast, Dagalo, who recently toured six African capitals, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he had accepted IGAD’s invitation and would attend the summit in Uganda. Sudan’s foreign ministry criticized IGAD for inviting Dagalo, calling it a “flagrant violation” that destroys the credibility of the institution. The ministry accused IGAD of remaining silent on the atrocities committed by the paramilitary forces and granting them legitimacy by inviting them to a meeting attended only by member state heads of state and government.
Burhan has expressed anger at Dagalo’s growing diplomatic status, accusing African leaders who hosted him during his tour of complicity in atrocities against Sudanese civilians. Diplomatic analysts suggest that Burhan is becoming increasingly isolated as his troops fail to halt the advances of the Rapid Support Forces.
The war between the regular army and the paramilitary forces has resulted in the deaths of over 13,000 people, according to estimates by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project. Additionally, around 7.5 million civilians have been displaced due to the fighting. Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, torture, and arbitrary detention of civilians. The Rapid Support Forces have also been specifically accused of ethnically-motivated mass killings, looting, and the use of rape as a weapon of war.
In Port Sudan, where Burhan’s government is currently based, the acting foreign minister Ali Al-Sadiq informed newly arrived UN envoy Ramtane Lamamra that Sudan “rejects” the recent contact between UN chief Antonio Guterres and Dagalo. According to a statement from the official news agency SUNA, Sadiq stated that the UN chief’s phone call served to “legitimize” Dagalo, who leads a movement that has committed horrific violations condemned by some UN institutions and the majority of the international community.
Lamamra was appointed as Guterres’s envoy for Sudan after the termination of the UN mission to the country last month at the request of Burhan’s government.
In conclusion, Sudan’s army-aligned government’s refusal to attend the East African summit and its criticism of the UN’s engagement with rival paramilitary forces highlight the ongoing conflict in the country. The war has resulted in a significant loss of life and displacement of civilians. The growing diplomatic status of paramilitary leader Dagalo has further isolated army chief Burhan. The situation in Sudan remains tense, with both sides facing accusations of war crimes and human rights violations.