KHARTOUM - Observers in Khartoum
believe that Egypt is seeking to play a greater role in Sudan after a green signal it received from the US administration, which has become more influential in the Sudanese file during the recent period.
These observers believe that the new Egyptian role will be at the expense of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, whose relations with Washington have cooled due to intersections in several files.
The international Quartet - which includes the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE - concerned with the Sudanese file, was active during the previous period, along with the tripartite mechanism consisting of the United Nations, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The Quartet used the "carrot and stick" with the military component and civilian forces after nearly a year of political deadlock and divergence of positions until the framework agreement was signed last December, but it faces growing opposition.
The parties still have 5 complex issues pending in the framework agreement before reaching a final agreement.
The Ashkit-Qastal land border crossing between the two countries, and Egypt considers Sudan one of the most important countries affecting its national security (French)
Behind the Egyptian moves
Information obtained by Al-Jazeera Net stated that the Egyptian leadership formed a circle to study its position on the Sudanese file, and concluded that it was necessary to review the Egyptian position and considered it regression and not consistent with the necessities of Egyptian national security, the majority of whose pillars are affected by what is happening in its southern neighbor.
The study also stated that the Egyptian withdrawal formed a vacuum that was filled by other countries far from Sudan that do not realize its complexities and political and social structure.
The review also found a weakness in the role of the Egyptian embassy and consulate in Khartoum, which led to the change of the Egyptian ambassador, Hossam Issa, and his replacement last December by Hani Salah, who was responsible for the affairs of Sudan and South Sudan in the foreign ministry.
Consul General Ahmed Adly, who was succeeded by Tamer Mounir, was replaced and assumed his duties last week and was supported by 3 assistants.
Close associates of Cairo revealed that Egypt still regrets its weak role in Sudan, which led to the division of its south after the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa (IGAD) assumed mediation between the regime of isolated President Omar al-Bashir and the armed opposition led by John Garang, which ended with a peace agreement that led to Southern secession in 2011.
Egypt tried to remedy the matter belatedly by presenting an initiative with Libya under the name "The Egyptian-Libyan Initiative for Reconciliation in Sudan", but it died in its infancy after Western countries stood behind the African initiative.
Abbas Kamel's visit
Last Monday, the head of the Egyptian General Intelligence, Major General Abbas Kamel, arrived in Khartoum, and held talks with the head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan.
The council said that Kamel conveyed a message from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to Al-Burhan to strengthen relations between the two countries, while the statement was devoid of any reference to Egyptian efforts in Sudanese political affairs.
Kamel held separate consultations with the Forces for Freedom and Change - the Central Council, and the Forces for Freedom and Change (the Democratic Bloc), and suggested that the two parties host Cairo for a conference of Sudanese forces to unify their positions on transition issues in their country, and expand the political base in order to ensure the security and stability of Sudan.
Welcome and reservation
The spokesman for the Forces for Freedom and Change - the Democratic Bloc, Muhammad Zakaria, told Al-Jazeera Net that his bloc welcomed the Egyptian effort to bring the positions of the Sudanese parties closer, and informed Kamel of its adherence to a Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue, and that Cairo's role is limited to hosting, facilitating and facilitating the dialogue, indicating that Egypt is more understanding of the complexities of the Sudanese scene. By virtue of the historical and social ties between the two peoples.
Zakaria explains that the Democratic Bloc still rejects the framework agreement that the military component signed with the Forces for Freedom and Change last December, "and it is not considered a basis for resolving the Sudanese crisis because it expresses the agenda of specific currents, and it will not produce a viable government."
On the other hand, Mesbah Ahmed, a leader in the Forces for Freedom and Change - Central Council and spokesman for the National Umma Party (the largest party in the coalition), denied the existence of an Egyptian initiative but rather a "suggestion" from Abbas Kamel to hold a meeting between the Freedom and Change blocs to bring views closer to the issues at hand.
Ahmed told Al-Jazeera Net that they had informed Kamel that the political process had reached advanced stages with the signing of the framework agreement and that efforts to join the opponents of the agreement were continuing, and they would not deal with the "democratic bloc" as an alliance. The peace agreement does not concern them with the rest of the forces in the bloc.
He indicated that indirect contacts with Minawi and Jibril had made progress.
The activities of signing the political agreement between the forces of the military component and some of the civil forces in Sudan (Al-Jazeera)
Cairo fears
On the other hand, a security expert close to the military component of Al-Jazeera Net said that Cairo finally intervened to play a role in Sudan, due to its growing concern about the political and security "liquidity situation" that the country has been witnessing for about 4 years, and due to its dissatisfaction with its exclusion from the international quartet concerned with the Sudanese file on Despite its historical and social connection with this country.
Egypt believes - according to the security expert - that the dealings of some of the Quartet's parties with the Sudanese crisis complicates the situation and does not address it, because it weakens the role of the military institution and supports small components without political weight, historical legacy or social roots, which threatens Sudan's security and stability, especially as it is located in an African environment. Turbulent, which opens the door to terrorism, the proliferation of weapons and irregular migration, and threatens navigation in the Red Sea.