According to sources, several months ago the Egyptian government and a delegation from Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) met in Cairo to address regional security concerns, emphasize Sudanese unity, and collaborate on resolving military challenges in Sudan.
Following this initial meeting in Cairo, plans were made for three additional meetings between Lieutenant General Shams al-Din Kabbashi, the Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, and Abdul Rahim Dagalo, the Second Commander of the Rapid Support Forces, in Bahrain’s capital.
However, after sessions on January 6 and 20, Kabbashi did not attend the last scheduled meeting, resulting in the collapse of the talks in Manama.
The breakdown occurred due to Kabbashi’s absence from the final meeting which was crucial and intended to resolve outstanding issues.
This event led to an expansion of military operations in Khartoum and Kordofan, with the RSF commander Dagalo threatening further actions in other cities in an audio recording.
The Manama talks initially involved intelligence heads from Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE, focusing on hostilities cessation and discussions about the Jeddah Agreements.
The second meeting, on January 20, included representatives from the United States and Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain, Egypt, and the Emirates at the ambassadorial level.
The parties agreed on general principles encompassing 21 items, including the establishment of a professional and national army, reforming civil state institutions, conducting a comprehensive national dialogue, and addressing economic and humanitarian crises resulting from the war.
Despite initial agreement, talks collapsed when the army delegation rejected stopping military hostilities and demanded the RSF’s withdrawal from controlled bases, diverging from the initially agreed-upon principles.
Mediation efforts, presenting international models and conflict resolution methods, were unsuccessful as the army delegation later rejected the accord.
Observers attribute the breakdown to a media campaign initiated by Islamists from the previous regime against Kabbashi’s meeting with Dagalo.
The Manama discussions aimed to pave the way for a direct meeting between the Sudanese army chief, al-Burhan, and RSF leader Dagalo.
Sudan has since April 15, 2023 been plunged into a civil war pitting army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against RSF Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The conflict has resulted in a devastating toll, with over 12,190 casualties and the displacement of more than seven million people, according to estimates by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project and UN figures, respectively.
Mediation efforts have faced significant obstacles due to deep-seated animosity between the rival factions. Despite Burhan’s administration continuing to issue statements as Sudan’s government, Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces assert control over Khartoum’s streets, Darfur, and a substantial part of Al-Jazira, once Sudan’s vital agricultural region.
