Sudan hopes that Trump’s return to the White House will be positive to achieve an end to the war with the RSF

The Sudanese ambassador warns of the potential for destabilization of Africa and Europe by this “terrorist group”

Nov. 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Sudanese ambassador to Spain, Maha Ayoub, has expressed her confidence that Donald Trump’s return to the White House will have a positive impact on the situation in the country, plunged into a war with the paramilitary Support Forces since April 2023. Rapid (RSF), while warning of the potential for destabilization that this “terrorist group” represents for the Sahel region and even Europe.

“Trump’s election is going to create an enormous change at the international level,” he highlighted in a meeting with journalists at the Sudanese Embassy in Madrid, before arguing that with the next Administration “there will be more interest in what is happening in Sudan.” , especially since Washington “has not acted to its full potential” during Joe Biden’s term.

“The Trump Administration had a different position regarding the Middle East and Africa, one that was more in favor of our interests,” said Ayoub, who headed the Americas Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the magnate’s first term, between 2017 and 2021, a position he temporarily held after Biden’s arrival.

Thus, he recalled that, following the overthrow of Omar Hasan al Bashir in 2019, the authorities took a turn at the political level, marked by a rapprochement with the United States and Israel, eventually joining the ‘Abraham Accords’ in 2020. in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan established relations with the Asian country.

The inclusion of Khartoum in these historic agreements, criticized by the Palestinian Authority, came after Trump announced that the country would be removed from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism, on which it had been since 1993, following an agreement to pay compensation. to relatives of victims of several Al Qaeda attacks.

Ayoub stressed that “Sudan expressed its goodwill to achieve peace in the Middle East (by taking this step), given that at that time Sudan was interested in returning to the international community and being a partner in the peace process.” , a fact evidenced in an exchange of official visits between Sudan and Israel.

“The Israeli Government is perfectly aware of what Sudan has sacrificed for this,” argued the ambassador, who has expressed her desire for a peace process to be opened to “discuss the two-state solution” once the conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Israel. “We hope it will be very soon,” he said.

RISK OF REGIONAL DESSTABILIZATION

Ayoub called on the international community to take a stronger stance to address the conflict, which already leaves some 8.8 million internally displaced people and more than three million refugees in neighboring countries, according to the latest data published by the High Commissioner for United Nations for Refugees (UNHCR).

In this way, he has stressed that the war is prolonging due to the “continuous flow” of military, diplomatic and logistical support to the RSF, especially from the UAE, which “supports the militia from the beginning”, and Chad, although he has also pointed to the role played by Ethiopia.

“We believe this has to stop. People have to understand that what mercenaries do are criminal activities,” said Ayoub, who stressed that “the UAE has to be held accountable.” “If they were not arming the militia, they would not have access to very sophisticated weapons that have been confiscated by the Army,” he explained.

Thus, he detailed that in recent months around 70 flights have been detected arriving in Chad with weapons, food and equipment, from where this material is sent across the border to reinforce the group’s capabilities, which has led to Khartoum to file a “formal complaint” with the UN.

“Ethiopia is also involved along with Chad,” he assured, before linking this situation with bilateral tensions around the Great Renaissance Dam built by Addis Ababa on the Blue Nile River. “It is expected that their interests are not the same as ours and perhaps they are interested in a regime change in Sudan,” he remarked.

For this reason, he pointed out that “although Sudan is far away, the Sahel is close to Spain, it is very close to Europe.” “This should be important for Europe, since it is an issue that concerns it,” he reiterated, before pointing out the danger derived from the increase in crime and human trafficking due to the militia’s activities.

“This militia is not someone with whom you can negotiate. It does not threaten only Sudan, but the entire Sahel region. They have many weapons, they are not a disciplined Army, they are selling their weapons, they are using them for organized crime and they affect other countries,” he said, while emphasizing that this insecurity “will expand to West Africa.”

Along these lines, Ayoub has maintained that many of the “mercenaries” who make up the RSF “are not even from Sudan”, but “from West African countries.” “The majority do not speak Arabic, they speak languages ​​that do not exist in Sudan. They join the militia because it is a place where they can earn some money,” he explained, before indicating that “it is in Europe’s interest to address this problem and work closely with its allies,” including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

BLOCKADE ON PEACE TALKS

On the other hand, Ayoub has ruled out that it is possible to reactivate talks with the RSF due to their failure to comply with the agreements reached in May 2023 in the Saudi city of Jeddah, which prevent contacts from taking place if there is no prior step by the group to materialize said clauses.

“It is very difficult to sit with people who have been murdering and torturing your family. It is very difficult for people to forget these things,” he said, before stating that “the militias are entrenching themselves by committing more atrocities.” “At the beginning of the war it would have been easier (to negotiate), but now it is very difficult,” acknowledged Ayoub, who said that “the international community cannot pretend that the militia and the Government are equal.”

“I do not think that the Sudanese people are going to accept that there are negotiations with the militia,” he said, although he expressed his desire that the military route “not be the only solution” and has ruled out that for now the creation of an international coalition to combat the group.

“I don’t know how effective these types of international coalitions are,” he stated, before recalling that groups such as Islamic State, Boko Haram and Al Shabaab “are still there.” “If it were useful, Sudan would do it, but… we have not seen positive results from these types of international coalitions.” “There is no history of success,” he defended.

In addition, he has praised the progress made by the Army in its recent offensives in Khartoum, Khartoum North and Omdurman, mostly in the hands of the rebels since the outbreak of the conflict. “They are advancing firmly. Slowly, but they are advancing,” he explained, before stating that the military “have crossed the bridges” over the Nile to reinforce their positions.

Finally, he has denounced the murders, destruction and looting committed by the group since the start of the war, including the sale of the country’s historical heritage. Over the past few weeks, the RSF has intensified its killings in Gezira and Darfur states, with hundreds of civilians killed.

“The Sudanese people are not only losing their present, since we are refugees. They are losing their future, since the children cannot go to school and have no future, and their past, their heritage,” he argued. “It is an enormous tragedy,” he added, after recognizing that Sudan is mired in “an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.”