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July 9, 2024 (Port Sudan) – In the first visit by a foreign head of government to Sudan since the outbreak of the war in the country, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed met with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sovereign Council and Commander of the Sudanese Army, in Port Sudan on Tuesday. The two leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and potential ways to achieve peace.
Upon arrival, Ahmed was warmly received by General Burhan. According to a statement released by the Sovereign Council, Burhan briefed the visiting prime minister on the situation in Sudan, highlighting the “insurrection of the terrorist Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia against the state and its institutions.”
The statement added that Burhan accused the Rapid Security Forces of committing atrocities against Sudanese civilians, destroying state infrastructure and targeting state institutions.
Ahmed, who left just hours after arriving, stressed the importance of peace as the basis for development. He stressed that the problems of countries should be solved by themselves without external interference.
He further expressed his solidarity with the Sudanese people and said: “True friends always show up in difficult times.” He reiterated the unwavering support of the Ethiopian government and people to Sudan and expressed his confidence that the war will end and the relationship between the two countries will be stronger than ever.
The two leaders held a closed-door meeting to discuss the Sudan crisis and ways to end the war.
The Sudanese and Ethiopian leaders also discussed the situation in eastern Sudan, including the possibility of a rapid security force attack on Gedaref and the possibility of the conflict spreading to Ethiopia, according to multiple reports.
Ethiopian analysts warn that an alliance between the Amhara Fano militia and the Rapid Security Forces could destabilize the region, given the loose nature of their alliance and a shared propensity to loot and attack civilians.
Sources revealed that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s visit to Port Sudan was preceded by a telephone conversation with the US envoy to Sudan, who also spoke with the Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister who recently visited Sudan.
The military said it would not negotiate with the Rapid Security Forces until they fulfilled the terms of the May 11, 2023 agreement, which required Rapid Security Forces fighters to withdraw from urban areas to designated cantonment locations outside cities.
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