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Sudan military leader Burhan to attend Bahrain's Arab League Summit

Sudan's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan salutes as he listens to the national anthem after landing in the military airport of Port Sudan, on his first trip away following fighting in Khartoum, on August 27, 2023.(Photo: Ibrahim Mohammed Ishak/Reuters)

By Mwangi Maina | Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Acting Sudanese Foreign Minister Hussein Awad Ali is already in Manama, laying the groundwork for Burhan's participation.

Sudan's military leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, is set to attend the 33rd Arab League Summit in Manama, Bahrain, indicating the bloc's continued recognition of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leadership as the country's legitimate government.

Acting Sudanese Foreign Minister Hussein Awad Ali is already in Manama laying the groundwork for Burhan's participation, having met with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

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During the meeting, Ahmed reiterated the bloc's stance on Sudan, emphasising the importance of preserving the country's institutions, particularly the armed forces.

He also emphasised the Arab League's support for Sudan's legitimate government and its decisions, advocating for the restoration of stability and security.

The Arab League Secretary-General added that Sudan needed to engage all political stakeholders in a comprehensive dialogue to end the ongoing conflict, which has resulted in the displacement of millions of people.

Agenda items for the summit encompass recent developments in Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Lebanon, Comoros, and Yemen, as well as strategies to enhance Arab national security and combat terrorism.

Notably, paramount attention will be given to the Palestinian cause and the situation in the Gaza Strip, with dedicated discussions slated for both the ministerial meeting on Tuesday and the Arab Summit convened on Thursday.

Last week, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) endorsed Palestine's bid to become a full member of the United Nations and further urged the UN Security Council to reconsider the matter favourably.

The vote, conducted by the 193-member UNGA on Friday, served as a global measure of support for Palestine's aspirations for statehood, following the recent US veto in the UN Security Council.

The resolution, adopted by the assembly with 143 votes in favour and nine against (including the US and Israel), with 25 abstentions, does not grant full UN membership to Palestine but recognises its eligibility to join.

An excerpt of the resolution asserts that "the State of Palestine… should therefore be admitted to membership" and "recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favourably."

On Saturday, the Arab League welcomed the resolution supporting Palestine's bid to become a full UN member, saying, “The overwhelming vote in favour of the resolution clearly indicates the compass of global will and the direction of international public opinion,” Aboul-Gheit was cited as saying in a statement released by the Cairo-based, pan-Arab organisation.