Sudan seeks urgent Arab League meeting to counter foreign interference

By Adel Abdelrheem

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) - Sudan announced on Monday its request for an emergent meeting with Arab League aimed at “neutralizing interventions in Sudanese affairs.”

The statement was issued by Sudanese Information Minister Khalid Aleisir following discussions with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Port Sudan, according to the state-run SUNA news agency.

Aboul Gheit arrived in Port Sudan for a two-day visit during which he is meeting Sudanese officials to address the country’s challenges.

Aleisir said that Sudan's call seeks to address nations interfering in Sudanese internal matters under the Arab League's umbrella. He also urged the league to adopt “a framework to limit international involvement in Sudan's national issues.”

“We rely on the Arab League to play a significant role in the coming period, especially since many regional and international organizations have turned their backs on us during this crisis,” Aleisir said.

He criticized entities such as the African Union, which suspended Sudan’s membership in 2021 after the dissolution of its Sovereign Council and Cabinet. The Arab League, he noted, has not taken similar steps.

In November, Sudan’s Sovereign Council leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accused certain countries of hostility and others of maintaining ambiguous stances, vowing to respond in kind.

Reiterating Sudan's stance, Aleisir stressed three key points via the Arab League, saying: “No to interference in Sudanese affairs, no to aggression against the people, and no to state fragmentation.”

As of yet, the Arab League had not publicly commented on Sudan's request.

Separately, Aboul Gheit held a meeting in Port Sudan with Al-Burhan. The Sovereign Council described the meeting in a statement “highly positive,” highlighting the Arab League’s support for Sudan and its citizens.

Aboul Gheit acknowledged the humanitarian severity of Sudan’s crisis and discussed potential coordination between the Arab League, the international community, and the African Union to restore peace and stability in Sudan.

Sudan has been ravaged by fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF since April 2023.

The fighting has resulted in more than 20,000 deaths and displaced over 14 million people, according to estimates from the UN and local authorities.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio