A Special Arab Envoy to Sudan: Is the Arab League Moving Towards a More Active Role in the Crisis?
The appointment of Ambassador Zaid Al-Sabban by the Secretary-General of the Arab League as his personal envoy to Sudan comes at a highly significant time, as the country faces mounting political, security and humanitarian challenges, accompanied by an increasing need for more effective Arab action to support Sudan and preserve its unity and stability amid the ongoing war and its repercussions for the state and society.
The Purpose of the Appointment
According to a statement by the Arab League Secretary-General, the appointment aims to strengthen the League’s efforts to contribute to ending the war in Sudan and alleviating the suffering of its people. This will be pursued through intensified contacts with the relevant Sudanese parties, bringing their positions closer together, and helping create the conditions for launching an inclusive national dialogue under Sudanese leadership and ownership, in coordination with regional and international partners, foremost among them the members of the Quintet Mechanism.
The mandate also includes working to enhance the Arab League’s role in addressing the crisis, activating diplomatic instruments and good offices, and intensifying communication and follow-up efforts in support of a political settlement. Such efforts are intended to safeguard Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and national institutions while responding to the aspirations of its people for security and stability.
Political Significance
The decision appears to be more than a routine diplomatic assignment within the framework of the Arab League’s regular activities. Rather, it carries political implications regarding the Arab institution’s concern with developments in the Sudanese crisis and its desire to strengthen direct engagement with Khartoum, while exploring ways to support efforts to end the war and reach a settlement that preserves Sudan’s sovereignty and national institutions.
The significance of this step is heightened by its timing. It follows the important visit to Khartoum by the Arab League Secretary-General, Dr. Nabil Fahmy, on October 26, during which he held meetings with the Sudanese leadership and forces concerned with dialogue. This raises questions about whether the appointment of a personal envoy signals a shift in Arab engagement from merely monitoring the crisis towards more direct involvement in settlement efforts.
Questions have also emerged regarding Al-Sabban’s ability, given his extensive experience with the Sudanese file dating back to 2004, to bring Sudanese political forces closer together. There are also questions about the extent to which this initiative could help coordinate Arab efforts with the Quintet Mechanism and overcome the overlapping agendas of regional and international initiatives, paving the way for a more effective approach to addressing the crisis.
A Message Backed by Experience
For his part, Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Mohi El-Din Salem, said it was clear that the Arab League Secretary-General had assumed office with ideas and visions in which he firmly believes, and through which he seeks to restore the Arab League to its customary standing and the role it is expected to play.
In an interview with Al-Muhaqqiq, Salem said that the selection of Al-Sabban, who had been following the Sudanese file since at least 2006, during the Abuja negotiations on Darfur, reflected the accumulated experience of a diplomat who has continued to serve as Director of the African Affairs and Sudan Department at the Arab League.
He noted that the appointment sends a clear signal that the Arab League does not wish to remain merely one member of the Quintet Mechanism dealing with the Sudanese file. Rather, it seeks to take an additional step towards engaging with a member state whose particular importance the Secretary-General fully recognizes. This importance, Salem explained, entails both an official responsibility under the Arab League Charter and a moral responsibility, given the attacks Sudan is facing, which target its people’s resources and basic necessities, including water, food and other essential supplies.
He added that the Arab League Secretary-General’s decision to elevate the level of engagement with the Sudanese file carries a message and significance that Khartoum welcomes, understands and is prepared to respond to positively.
Salem announced that he and the Sudanese government welcomed the appointment and the new envoy, declaring: “We will work with him and with the Arab League in a manner that serves Sudan’s security and stability and safeguards the security of its people.”
He stressed that Sudan has long placed its confidence in the Arab League, affirming that the organization had never let the country down throughout the various stages it had experienced.
He also pointed out that Sudan was no stranger to crises, adding that Khartoum had found in Dr. Nabil Fahmy a deeper understanding of, and greater closeness to, its problems. He noted that Fahmy’s first visit after assuming the Egyptian foreign ministry portfolio had been to Sudan.
Salem added that this profound understanding and vision of Sudan within a broader pan-Arab framework, namely that of a common Arab national security system, offered Khartoum hope. He explained that agreement on how to approach crises in this manner would make it easier for Sudan and the Arab League to draw closer and work towards solutions that are more realistic, prudent and sustainable.
A Positive Signal
For his part, Dr. Tijani Sissi, Chairman of the National Movement Forces, said that his acquaintance with Ambassador Zaid Al-Sabban dated back to 2004, when he participated in the Abuja negotiations.
In remarks to Al-Muhaqqiq, Sissi said that since then, Al-Sabban had remained closely engaged with Sudanese affairs and maintained communication with Sudanese stakeholders in his capacity as a representative of the Arab League. He had also participated in meetings addressing Sudan’s issues and consistently devoted his efforts and intellectual resources to providing the necessary support to Sudanese people in several areas, particularly those related to security crises.
Sissi viewed Al-Sabban’s appointment as the Secretary-General’s special envoy as a positive signal towards strengthening the Arab League’s constructive engagement in Sudanese affairs.
“We, in the National Movement Forces, welcome him as the Secretary-General’s envoy,” he said.
He added that, based on their meeting with Dr. Nabil Fahmy during his visit to Khartoum last month, which was attended by his envoy to Sudan, they believed Al-Sabban would succeed in his mission, particularly given the respect and appreciation he enjoys among the Sudanese people.
Elevating the League’s Role
Meanwhile, Osman Mirghani, the official spokesperson for the Committee for Preparing the Dialogue, affirmed that Al-Sabban possesses extensive knowledge of Sudan and the details of its political landscape, as well as ongoing communication with various political currents.
Mirghani told Al-Muhaqqiq that assigning Al-Sabban the responsibilities of the Arab League’s special envoy would elevate the League’s role and strengthen its contribution to facilitating a resolution of the Sudanese crisis.
He noted that the Arab League enjoys considerable respect within Sudanese society and that its initiatives and efforts are generally well received.
He added that Al-Sabban could help strengthen cooperation between the Arab League and the Sudanese Dialogue Preparatory Committee, expressing hope that Sudan would begin to see tangible results from his appointment in the near future.
The Best Adviser
As for Mohamed Sayed Ahmed Sir Al-Khatim Al-Jakoumi, Chairman of the Civil Forces Coordination, he said Al-Sabban’s appointment came after Dr. Nabil Fahmy had become acquainted with the substantial and commendable efforts Al-Sabban had made in his capacity as the Arab League’s representative within the Quintet Mechanism. He also referred to Al-Sabban’s positions, which he described as firm and strong, and his strict commitment to the positions agreed upon within the Arab League, including refusing to engage with the Tasis entity.
Speaking to Al-Muhaqqiq, Al-Jakoumi said: “When we met the Arab League Secretary-General, we explained all of this to him very clearly and strongly recommended that he give Al-Sabban his full confidence.”
He noted that Al-Sabban had consistently implemented all the League’s requirements, decisions and directives with great precision. He further claimed that Al-Sabban would not remain in any venue visited by members of the Tasis group, and that he would leave any place where the group was present.
Al-Jakoumi described him as the Arab League’s best adviser on Sudan, citing the broad acceptance he enjoys among Sudanese political forces, in addition to his prudence, sound judgment and ability to manage complex situations.
He said that, in the presence of more than 40 prominent figures from Sudan’s political community, including armed movements, civil society organizations, political forces, alliances, blocs and native administrations, he had told Fahmy that without Al-Sabban and their consultations with him on all Sudan-related matters, they would not have been able to manage their battles within the Quintet Mechanism with the same strength and effectiveness, or assert the will of Sudanese forces within it.
He added that, at the time, the other components of the mechanism were, in his account, working to support both Sumoud and Tasis.
Al-Jakoumi continued that whenever Sudanese forces encountered disagreements with the European Union and presented their position directly to it, they would agree among themselves to refer the matter to the Quintet Mechanism.
He explained that this approach had been proposed by Al-Sabban, who believed they would not be able to intervene directly in their disputes with the European Union. Instead, he suggested that communications should be addressed to the Quintet Mechanism, allowing it to make its own decisions regarding the memoranda submitted to it.
Al-Jakoumi said that Sudanese forces subsequently adopted this approach and began addressing the Quintet Mechanism directly. He described this as one of Al-Sabban’s outstanding diplomatic insights, explaining that referring matters through the mechanism helped achieve genuine unity among the African Union, the Arab League and IGAD. These organizations, he said, eventually began speaking with one voice, using common language and pursuing a more coherent line of thinking.
He stressed that all these factors, in his view, demonstrated that Al-Sabban possessed qualities not readily found in others.
“Our testimony in Al-Sabban’s favor may be biased,” he added, “but he is a devoted and patriotic man who defends the Arab nation and remembers its glorious past and the Khartoum Summit of the Three No’s.”
He recalled how then-President Ismail Al-Azhari, Al-Sharif Hassan Al-Hindi and Mohamed Ahmed Mahgoub had succeeded in bringing King Faisal together with President Gamal Abdel Nasser, paving the way for the historic reconciliation that ended the dispute between Egypt and Saudi Arabia at the time.
Al-Jakoumi said Al-Sabban reminded them of that generation of giants who had served in the Arab League, considering his presence within the organization a major and powerful source of support for the Sudanese people.
The Democratic Bloc Welcomes the Appointment
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Zakaria, official spokesperson for the Democratic Bloc, announced the bloc’s welcome for Al-Sabban’s appointment as the Arab League Secretary-General’s special envoy to Sudan.
He noted that the move reflected the League’s interest in developments in the Sudanese crisis and its determination to strengthen its role in efforts to end the war and achieve peace and stability.
Zakaria told Al-Muhaqqiq that the bloc hoped the appointment would provide an effective addition to ongoing efforts by drawing on Al-Sabban’s extensive experience with the Sudanese file and would help strengthen Arab engagement and coordinate regional and international initiatives.
He stressed that the Arab League’s success in resolving the Sudanese crisis depended on supporting a comprehensive Sudanese dialogue under Sudanese ownership and leadership, one that addresses the root causes of the crisis and lays the foundations for lasting peace and a free democratic transition.
He added that the bloc reaffirmed its readiness to cooperate with the new envoy and contribute to serious efforts aimed at achieving peace.
Zakaria considered the appointment a starting point for a more effective Arab role in supporting Sudan and restoring its security and stability.
Recognition of the Sudanese Cause
Mutaz Al-Fahl, Political Secretary of the Democratic Unionist Party (Original), believes that Al-Sabban’s appointment as the Arab League Secretary-General’s special envoy represents recognition of the importance of the Sudanese cause, particularly in light of his awareness and understanding of the Sudanese file.
Al-Fahl told Al-Muhaqqiq that the appointment confirms the Arab League’s interest in the crisis and its seriousness in addressing it.
He added that the Secretary-General’s envoy would receive their full cooperation and a warm welcome.
He continued that, by appointing Ambassador Zaid Al-Sabban, the Arab League Secretary-General had sent a message indicating that he was approaching the Sudanese file with a distinguished body of knowledge and a well-developed vision.
Al-Fahl wished Al-Sabban success in his mission and expressed appreciation to Sudan’s Arab brothers, represented by the Arab League Secretary-General, for their noble positions in support of the Sudanese people and their commitment to safeguarding the country’s territorial unity and sovereignty.
Translating Arab Interest into Action
Ultimately, amid the official and political welcome for Zaid Al-Sabban’s appointment as the Arab League Secretary-General’s special envoy to Sudan, attention is now turning to the practical results this initiative may achieve and its ability to translate Arab interest into a more effective role in supporting Sudanese dialogue and ending the war, while safeguarding Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The challenge also lies in determining the nature of the role the Arab League will assume through its new envoy. Will it complement and reinforce the efforts of the Quintet Mechanism, or will it give Arab engagement a more independent course in addressing the Sudanese crisis?
Source: Almohagig
