{"id":56010,"date":"2025-10-20T01:33:54","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T22:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/?p=56010"},"modified":"2025-10-20T01:33:54","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T22:33:54","slug":"as-washington-hosts-quartet-meeting-on-sudan-hopes-rise-for-a-final-political-settlement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/20\/as-washington-hosts-quartet-meeting-on-sudan-hopes-rise-for-a-final-political-settlement\/","title":{"rendered":"As Washington Hosts \u201cQuartet\u201d Meeting on Sudan, Hopes Rise for a Final Political Settlement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sudan Events \u2013 Agencies<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the long-awaited meeting of the \u201cQuartet\u201d countries on Sudan approaches in Washington this October, optimism is growing across Sudanese circles. Many believe this round of international engagement could finally pave the way toward a lasting political settlement to end the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).<\/p>\n

Across Sudan, politicians and civil society activists alike see the upcoming talks as a last chance to halt a devastating conflict that has raged for more than two years, killing thousands, displacing millions, and destroying much of the nation\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n

The visit of Army Commander Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to Cairo last Wednesday\u2014where he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi\u2014focused on the Quartet\u2019s plan, which brings together the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Both leaders expressed hope that the Washington meeting would produce tangible results toward resolving Sudan\u2019s crisis.<\/p>\n

Following that visit, Sudan\u2019s government issued its first clear stance on the Quartet initiative. Foreign Minister Mohieldin Salem said that U.S. President Trump\u2019s recent initiative to end the war in Gaza \u201chas created a positive atmosphere conducive to sustainable peace in the region\u2014an opportunity that should also be used to stop the Sudanese war.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expectations and Warnings<\/strong><\/p>\n

Babiker Faisal, head of the Executive Bureau of the Federal Gathering and a senior member of the \u201cSumud\u201d Alliance led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, told Al-Ahdath that the Quartet meeting is expected to set clear timelines and mechanisms for implementing a humanitarian truce.<\/p>\n

He said both warring sides had given a green light to move forward with the Quartet\u2019s roadmap, noting a \u201cmajor shift in public opinion toward the anti-war camp led by the Sumud coalition.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Faisal warned against a bilateral power-sharing deal between the two warring parties, arguing that such an arrangement \u201cwould not end the war nor bring about lasting peace.\u201d The success of the Quartet\u2019s roadmap, he said, depends on a political process that tackles the root causes of Sudan\u2019s crises. He emphasized that \u201cIslamists\u201d should not be part of any future dialogue, given their continued dominance over the state\u2019s military and security institutions.<\/p>\n

Prospects for Direct Talks<\/strong><\/p>\n

An official meeting in Rome last Thursday brought together Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed al-Khuraiji, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss D\u00e9by, and Mossad Bolous, the U.S. President\u2019s Special Advisor for African Affairs. The encounter was part of ongoing international efforts to resolve Sudan\u2019s war.<\/p>\n

Bolous has repeatedly stated that Sudan\u2019s warring sides are \u201cclose to engaging in direct talks,\u201d adding that Washington maintains continuous contact with both the army and the RSF to establish general principles for negotiations.<\/p>\n

Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the U.S. envoy\u2019s recent communications with both camps covered the overall situation in Sudan and steps that could prepare the ground for formal negotiations.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the parallel government established under RSF control has expressed its willingness to engage with the Quartet initiative to end the war.<\/p>\n

Simultaneously, several Sudanese figures have been in contact with Burhan\u2019s inner circle, urging him to respond positively to the Quartet\u2019s efforts by reviving the Jeddah platform for negotiations with the RSF. For over two years, Burhan has insisted on pursuing the war until the RSF\u2019s military defeat\u2014a goal that, many observers now agree, has not been achieved and seems increasingly unlikely.<\/p>\n

A Growing International Consensus<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to Sudanese political analyst Abdallah Adam Khater, the Quartet roadmap has evolved beyond the vision of the four founding states, comparing it to \u201ca snowball that gathers more support as it rolls.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted that the plan has gained successive endorsements from the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the Arab League, IGAD, and most neighboring and regional states\u2014factors that, he argued, significantly enhance the prospects for a successful international push to end the war.<\/p>\n

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Khater said that any political solution based on the Quartet\u2019s roadmap \u201cmust center on a Sudanese\u2013Sudanese dialogue conducted with a sense of national responsibility\u2014one that goes beyond the current war and addresses the country\u2019s long-standing crises.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that all signs point to an imminent return of the SAF and RSF to the Jeddah platform to discuss a humanitarian ceasefire and a temporary truce, preceded by technical preparations for how the two sides would negotiate.<\/p>\n

Regional Leverage and the Roadmap<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Quartet\u2019s strength lies in the participation of three pivotal regional powers\u2014Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE\u2014whose close ties with Washington and influence across the region could help push Sudan\u2019s rival factions toward a peace process. The first priority, diplomats say, is to protect civilians and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, followed by political arrangements for a postwar transition.<\/p>\n

The Quartet\u2019s roadmap, outlined in a statement last month, calls for an initial three-month humanitarian ceasefire that would evolve into a permanent cessation of hostilities, paving the way for a comprehensive nine-month transition culminating in the formation of a civilian government free from military control.<\/p>\n

Burhan\u2019s Preconditions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has laid down clear conditions for any future peace talks, particularly those based on the Quartet\u2019s roadmap. Speaking in Atbara, River Nile State, he said the army \u201cwill not back down from its pledge to the Sudanese people. Whether through the Quartet or others\u2014any party that wants to negotiate with us on what serves Sudan\u2019s unity and dignity and ends this war\u2014we will engage with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Burhan rejected any unconditional negotiations, asserting: \u201cWe will not negotiate with anyone, and no one will impose on us a peace deal, a government, or figures rejected by the Sudanese people.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that anyone seeking peace \u201cmust submit to the will of the people,\u201d stressing, \u201cWe welcome all efforts, but there will be no guardianship over Sudan.\u201d The army chief affirmed his readiness to enter talks only if they guarantee \u201can end to the rebellion\u201d and prevent the imposition of unpopular figures on the Sudanese state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sudan Events \u2013 Agencies As the long-awaited meeting of the \u201cQuartet\u201d countries on Sudan approaches in Washington this October, optimism is growing across Sudanese circles. Many believe this round of international engagement could finally pave the way toward a lasting political settlement to end the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56010"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56012,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56010\/revisions\/56012"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56011"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sudanevents.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}