The Egypt Summit is a good step in the resolution of the Sudan conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. According to multiple sources including the BBC, the summit was held in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, on the Sudan conflict with the participation of the leaders of seven African countries including Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan last week. Though the summit — rendered the most high-profile meeting on the resolution of the Sudan conflict since its eruption — has not brought any notable outcomes, the leaders agreed to hold further talks among them that may facilitate talks between the warring parties and help resolve the conflict in Sudan.
It is notable that peace talks based and other efforts have by this time been taken to resolve the conflict. Several parties including the United States, the African Union and regional countries have taken peace initiatives. The United States and Saudi Arabia convened ceasefire talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah. The United States and several other countries also imposed targeted sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the conflict, aiming to pressure them into seeking a peaceful resolution to the conflict. The Cairo Initiative, led by Egypt, is the latest one with some potential of ending the conflict in Sudan that has the potential to escalate into a full-fledged civil war, though it remains unclear whether and how much it will be successful.
The Egypt Summit definitely provides a crucial platform for constructive dialogue among neighboring leaders and fostering a spirit of cooperation, allowing them for the exploration of solutions to the Sudan conflict. More importantly, the summit brings together key stakeholders and regional powers who agreed to make efforts to resolve the conflict. It is to note that Egypt holds significant influence in the region and has historically played a crucial role in mediating conflicts. With their collective efforts and diplomatic expertise, there is hope that the Egypt summit can pave the way toward a peaceful resolution to the Sudan conflict. Even if it does not resolve the conflict, it can help to make some developments that may foster the resolution of the Sudan conflict.
But there are some noteworthy limitations of the initiative that may put barriers to ending the Sudan conflict that has by this time killed several thousand and displaced millions. Importantly, the Cairo Summit did not include the conflicting parties of Sudan and, consequently, undermined its effectiveness and limited the potential for a comprehensive resolution. Also, there was a lack of clear and actionable steps at the summit, leaving room for uncertainty in the path toward peace, though the attending leaders emphasized a three-month ceasefire. Among others, the role of Egypt — whose troops are said to have fought in favor of the SAF at the initial stage of the conflict — may itself be a crucial challenge to its mediation in ending the conflict.
There are also other challenges that may create trouble in the resolution of conflict in Sudan. A power struggle between the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the powerful paramilitary group that commenced after the ouster of former President Omar al-Bashir in 2019 with a coup led by these two groups is one of the crucial challenges. Also, unwillingness and a lack of compliance mechanisms may create further trouble in resolving the conflict. Despite several steps noted earlier, the parties have not convincingly shown any willingness to end the conflict and, consequently, at least 10 ceasefires that the rival parties have agreed on so far failed. Among others, deep-rooted ethnic and religious divisions within the country are a notable challenge.
It is desired that the Sudan conflict is ended earlier and does not escalate into a full-fledged civil war. But strengthened mediation is imperative. For this, holding further talks and developing concrete mechanisms are crucial for the Egypt initiative to be successful. Establishing communication and promoting dialogue between the SAF and the RSF is vital. It is also imperative to address grievances and promote reconciliation between the forces to successfully end the conflict. But the warring parties need to be earnest. International pressures may also be effective in bringing the parties to the discussion tables and reaching acceptable solutions. Along with the Egypt initiative, the steps of other parties including the African Union may be helpful.
