Geneva … American Delusions
Behind the News
By: Mohammed Wada’a
The U.S. State Department is racing against time, with only four days left before the Congress deadline for President Biden to issue an executive order to sanction the militia under the Magnitsky Act. If negotiations begin in Geneva, it would justify not issuing the executive order.
Perillo (Daqs) claimed that he receives his information from “civilian forces.” However, Perillo cannot name the civilian forces from which he receives his information. Perillo is working on a new agreement to present to both parties, which means proceeding with bargaining on issues that are non-negotiable. Perillo carries a big stick (a club) and a thin carrot.
Americans are accustomed to imposing their will on regional leaders and are astonished by the strong rejection from the Sudanese leadership. During his press conference, the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Tom Perillo, appeared exhausted and distracted, perhaps leading him to ruin. Perillo tried hard to use traditional American policy by raising the stick and the carrot, but he raised a big stick with the promise of a thin carrot, a policy that failed in Gaza. There, Israel and the Western alliance, led by America, faced a few thousand fighters but failed to achieve the announced goals of the war in crushing Hamas and freeing the prisoners.
Since the Framework Agreement, the Quad has claimed to work with civilian forces (the legitimate representative of the Sudanese people), referring to the Freedom and Change group, which evolved into the “Advance” group. The failure of “Advance” in the meeting organized by the African Union from August 9 to 12, and the lack of agreement on a unified position on the specified axes to pave the way for forming a preparatory committee for the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue, along with the withdrawal of the Popular Movement (Al-Hilu) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (Abdel Wahed), led Mr. Perillo to a desperate lie by claiming that he received tens of thousands of calls from Sudanese people asking him to work on stopping the war. Assuming this claim is true, it does not shame the Sudanese people in any way. The entire population is for stopping the war while preserving their dignity, reclaiming their natural rights to live in peace, ensuring the return of looted property, and enabling them to return to their homes and workplaces. The Sudanese people are for stopping the war and holding criminals and killers accountable for the violations and crimes committed by the Rapid Support Militia and their mercenaries from neighboring countries. Therefore, we must doubt that Mr. Perillo received these calls. The truth is that the Sudanese people do not trust Perillo or his American administration.
Perillo (Daqs) said he receives information from “civilian forces” without naming them, claiming the information is credible. Naturally, he did not reveal this information or its value. Perillo is not telling the truth, and if he dares, he should name these civilian forces that provide him with information. Perillo faces a significant challenge regarding his credibility in transparently disclosing these forces and the information he received from them, and at what cost?
Perillo said that the mediation responded to issues raised by the army, including the implementation of the Jeddah Agreement. So far, neither party has reached Geneva, but we will proceed to design a humanitarian plan to be drafted and presented to both parties. He added, “We want to reach a ceasefire, and the participation of the UAE and Egypt in the Geneva negotiations means that the agreement will not be just on paper, as they can make progress in the process and ensure that the deal is not just on paper.” However, he issued a direct threat by saying, “We will do what we have to do, including air-dropping food.”
America set the dates for the Geneva negotiations without consulting the Sudanese government, ensuring that the army would attend under the pressure of the planned fall of El Fasher to the militia. Abdul Rahim came specifically to announce its fall, but the armed forces and joint forces dashed the hopes of (Zlot), forcing him to return disappointed and defeated. Nevertheless, the scenario continued to force the army to sit at the Geneva table, and El Fasher did not fall. Perillo’s language shifted from arrogance and threats to a more conciliatory tone, even prompting Norway to mediate with the Sudanese government and apply pressure on Turkey and Egypt to persuade Al-Burhan to send his delegation to Geneva. The U.S. State Department is racing against time, with only four days left before the Congress deadline for President Biden to issue an executive order to sanction the militia under the Magnitsky Act. If the negotiations start, it will justify not issuing the executive order.
This is not a slip of the tongue, as Perillo revealed his goal for the negotiations: to create a new agreement with an American vision that preserves American interests and presents it to both parties. This means proceeding with bargaining on issues that are non-negotiable. Americans are used to imposing their will on regional leaders and are astonished by the strong rejection from the Sudanese leadership. We will witness American tactical retreats that will fool no one, while they prepare for a new offensive, perhaps targeting another city or area. But alas, their hopes will be dashed time and again, and those who have wronged will know what end they will reach.
