Egypt to host conference for Sudanese civilian political groups next month

By Ibrahim al-Khazen

CAIRO (AA) - Egypt said Tuesday it will host a conference for Sudan’s civilian political forces in late June with other regional and global partners.

The conference aims “to reach a consensus among the various Sudanese civilian political forces on ways to build comprehensive and lasting peace in Sudan through a Sudanese national dialogue,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the Egyptian invitation to host the conference "stems from a firm belief that the current conflict in Sudan is fundamentally a Sudanese issue."

“Any future political process in Sudan should include all active national parties in Sudan while respecting the principles of Sudan's sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity and non-interference in its internal affairs,” it added.

Sudan is Egypt’s next-door neighbor and is a major source of main source of the Nile River water.

The conflict in Sudan has forced thousands of Sudanese to flee to Egypt, adding more pressure on the country’s economic resources.

Sudan fell into violence in April 2023 amid clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group.

The conflict has killed nearly 13,900 people and displaced nearly 8.1 million others, including around 6.3 million who have been internally displaced within Sudan, according to figures released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in February.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul