Sudan Declined to Participate in Eritrea’s Brokered Peace Meeting: Foreign Minister

Ali al Sadiq acting foreign minister of Sudan

August 6, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan declined to take part in an Eritrean-sponsored meeting on eastern Sudan issues, Foreign Minister Ali Sadiq told Sudan Tribune on Friday.

Sudanese authorities prevented political and tribal leaders from crossing the border into Eritrea in response to an invitation by President Isaias Afwerki, citing a lack of visa and instructions from Khartoum authorizing the visit.

But, the Secretary General of a faction of the Popular Front for Liberation and Justice led by al-Amin Daoud, said that the embassy in Khartoum informed the Sudanese government via the foreign ministry about the visit.

“The Foreign Ministry was requested through a note from the Eritrean embassy to select some figures from the government side to participate in the conference which would be held inside the Eritrean territories,” Minister Ali al-Sadiq told Sudan Tribune.

“The Foreign Ministry did not respond to this request, which means its  (tacit) rejection,” he further stressed.

The Sudanese top diplomat pointed out that the request submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not include the list of eastern Sudan leaders participating in the meeting,

“The Foreign Ministry was not aware of this (list),” he stressed.

Eritrean foreign minister visited Khartoum several times earlier this year to convince al-Burhan to accept a peace conference to end the tribal dispute in eastern Sudan as some of the tribal components involved in the conflict live in the two countries.

However, it was not clear why the Eritrean leadership excluded the signatory groups of the Juba peace agreement and invited a non-signatory faction led by Daoud who is often accused of close links with Eritrea.

Also, was invited a former presidential assistant Musa Mohamed Ahmed who signed the eastern Sudan peace agreement with the former regime in 2006.

The Hadandawa tribal leader Mohamed Al-Amin Terik – backed by Musa- was opposed to the Juba peace agreement about eastern Sudan. Also, they were opposed to the governor appointed by the transitional civilian government because he is from the Beni Amer group who are from Eritrea and Sudan.

(ST)