Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed paid an official visit to Port Sudan, the interim administrative capital of Sudan since the start of the war on April 15, 2023, on Tuesday, July 9. This is the first visit by a head of state or government to Sudan since the conflict began. The visit marks ” the latest step in Abiy Ahmed’s commitment to finding lasting solutions for stability ” from Sudan, assured the office of the person concerned.
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Since the beginning of this war which pits the regular Sudanese army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the Rapid Support Forces (FSR), the paramilitary led by Mohamad Hamdan Daglo, no foreign head of state or government had visited Sudan. The Ethiopian Prime Minister, visiting Port Sudan on Tuesday, was the first. Abiy Ahmed, who positions himself as a mediator, met with General al-Burhan, head of the country’s Sovereign Council.
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According to a statement from the ruling Sovereignty Council in Sudan, this visit demonstrates the depth of relations between the two peoples. Abiy Ahmed said he had brought a message of solidarity to the Sudanese people. A clarification necessary to definitively turn the page on the accusations of support for the FSR of Addis Ababa by Khartoum. Ethiopia was also suspected of having taken advantage of the situation and made an armed incursion into the disputed border region of al Fashaga. Two cases that have clouded relations between the two countries. But Addis Ababa has denied the involvement of its army in these incursions perpetrated by a local militia.
Forgotten tensions, heading for a resumption of peace talks
The visit seems in any case to have closed the chapter on these differences. Sudan has indeed stressed ” Ethiopia’s good intentions towards Khartoum “. ” This war will end, and relations between the two countries will remain strong. “, declared Abiy Ahmed. The need remains to find a Sudanese solution to the conflict, with this in mind, the head of the Ethiopian government called on the belligerents to return to discussions in Jeddah.
The visit comes as mediation efforts to end the crisis in Sudan are intensifying. Cairo convened a meeting of forces and civilian parties last weekend to unify their positions in order to end the war. On Monday, the Saudi deputy foreign minister traveled to Port Sudan to discuss the possible resumption of the Jeddah ceasefire talks. So far, mediation attempts, including those jointly by Saudi Arabia and the United States, have all failed. Also noteworthy is that starting this July 10, the African Union based in Addis Ababa is organizing an extraordinary summit dedicated to Sudan, again in an attempt to obtain a truce.
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