In a diplomatic breakthrough, Sudanese generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, known as “Hemedti,” have agreed to a meeting, as announced in a statement released on Sunday, December 10, by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad) after an extraordinary summit in Djibouti.
This marks an unprecedented diplomatic achievement for Igad in its efforts to halt the seven-month-long conflict in Sudan. Previous discussions, including those in Jeddah under the auspices of Washington and Riyadh, have all failed.
The two generals have agreed to meet within fifteen days, a development that seemed unimaginable just a week ago when the Jeddah talks came to a halt. Igad has thus achieved a significant diplomatic breakthrough.
For the first time since the conflict began, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was present at this extraordinary summit. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, or “Hemedti,” had a telephone conversation with the organization’s heads of state, according to the statement.
The Sovereign Council of Transition, confirming General al-Burhan’s commitment to signing a ceasefire, stated on its official social media page, “X,” that Mohamed Hamdan Daglo also accepted the ceasefire proposal in a letter published on the same platform.
However, the challenge now lies in reconciling the different demands of each party. According to the Sudan Tribune, the Sudanese army chief, for instance, requests that the fighters of the Rapid Support Forces (FSR) withdraw to cantonment sites. In his letter, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, on the other hand, calls for the arrest of former leaders of the previous regime.
Igad must now follow through on this diplomatic success. “We have seen Sudanese negotiating before, only to rearm,” cautions a diplomatic source.