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Sudan’s Burhan rejects IGAD, UAE role in Geneva talks

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Ahead of the forthcoming dialogue in Switzerland this week, the Sudanese army delegation has rejected suggestions including the United Arab Emirates, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), and the regional bloc.

The action, which is the most recent requirement imposed by the junta led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, might disrupt the US-sponsored Geneva Dialogue coming Wednesday. However, it also represents Burhan’s misgivings about the regional alliance and Abu Dhabi’s role in this conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The US-hosted preliminary meetings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday and Sunday discussed the subject of participants, leading to the current step.

First, the Sudanese military demanded that no negotiations take place until the RSF opened humanitarian corridors and stopped attacking people. Then it declared that it would not participate in the talks unless the UAE and Igad abstained.

The group has not even received an invitation to the meeting, an insider at the Igad office in Djibouti informed The EastAfrican.

However, the so-called “consultations” between the American side and the Sudanese government delegation in Jeddah ended without any major progress, underscoring the growing divergence of views over the peace process in Sudan.

As per well-informed sources, the junta delegation from Sudan voiced considerable reluctance regarding the participation of specific foreign parties, stating that their existence may jeopardise the process’s integrity. Sudan has charged, and the US has backed, that the UAE is arming RSF and dragging out the conflict.

However, Abu Dhabi denied this accusation, even in a July statement that was presented to the UN Security Council.

Negotiations had concluded “without an agreement on the participation of the Sudanese delegation in the Geneva negotiations,” according to the group’s leader, Sudan’s Minister of Minerals, Mohamed Bashir Abu Namu. “Whether the delegation represents the army according to their desire or represents the government according to our decision from now on,” he stated, was the point of disagreement.

“This matter will be left in the hands of our leadership to decide according to its estimates, and certain details. Many things led us to this decision to end the consultative dialogue without an agreement.”

The RSF should not be granted the same standing as the Sudanese army, which claims to want to be the de facto representative of the country. Locally, the RSF describes the Army as rebels and the Army as surviving members of the Muslim Brotherhood connected to ousted leader Omar al-Bashir.

However, Burhan adds that to show a united front abroad, future negotiations should refer to his delegation as the official government, entitled to use the official government seal and distinguishing from the Sudanese army’s representation.

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Politics

Tunisian court mandates electoral commission to reinstate presidential contenders

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The highest court in Tunisia has issued an order requiring the electoral commission to re-enter two candidates for an October presidential election, cautioning that not doing so might compromise the election’s credibility.

The Administrative Court’s decision was made in rising political unrest in the nation of North Africa, where opposition parties and civil society organisations are concerned that a rigged election could give President Kais Saied a second term.

In the largest demonstration against constraints on liberties and the undemocratic electoral environment in Tunisia in two years, thousands of Tunisians came to the streets on Friday. Among the shouts screamed by the demonstrators was “Out with dictator Saied.”

Tensions increased after the electoral commission, citing purported flaws in their candidacy forms, rejected the court’s decision earlier this month to restore the candidatures of Abdellaif Mekki, Mondher Znaidi, and Imed Daimi ahead of the contest on October 6.

The president himself appointed the committee’s members, and major parties and civil society organisations claimed that this meant the president was using the inquiry as a weapon against his opponents.

Regarding the charges, commission president Farouk Bouasker has stated that “the commission is the only constitutional body entrusted with the integrity of the election” and refuted them. However, the commission must carry out its mandate and, if needed, revise the election schedule, the court ruled on Saturday. It’s unclear if this entails delaying the election or prolonging the campaign.

“Otherwise it would lead to an illegal situation that conflicts with the electoral law and the transparency of the electoral process”, it said.

 

Following their filing of a new complaint against the commission’s ruling, the court requested that Znaidi and Mekki be allowed to participate in the race. Daimi, the third contender, hasn’t yet submitted a second appeal.

After winning a democratic election in 2019, Saied strengthened his hold on power and started governing by decree in 2021—a move that the opposition has called a coup.

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Under their new coalition, Mali, Burkina, Niger to launch biometric passports

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As part of their departure from the West African bloc in favour of a new Sahel alliance, military authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger will implement new biometric passports, the countries’ leaders announced on Sunday.

Together, the three Sahelian neighbours run by juntas declared in January that they would be exiting the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), despite efforts by the organisation to convince them otherwise.

In July, the three West African nations signed a confederation treaty demonstrating their will to forge on together outside of the regional political and economic bloc that has been pressuring them to revert to democratic governance.

Earlier this month, Burkina Faso declared that it will no longer be issuing passports with the ECOWAS emblem.

“In the coming days, a new biometric passport of the AES (Alliance of Sahel States) will be put into circulation with the aim of harmonising travel documents in our common area and facilitating the mobility of our citizens throughout the world”, Malian junta leader Assimi Goita announced on Sunday evening.

On the eve of the decision to form their alliance, the foreign ministers of the three nations will meet on Monday. He made this statement beforehand.

In addition, Goita announced that they intended to open a common information channel “to foster a peaceful exchange of information among our three states.”

Meanwhile, ECOWAS had warned that the 400 million residents of the 49-year-old bloc would lose their freedom of movement and access to the common market if the three countries were to exit,

Their withdrawal coincides with their troops fighting militants associated with the Islamic State and al Qaeda, whose insurgencies have caused instability in the area for the previous ten years and pose a threat to those bordering West Africa.

 

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