A diplomatic dispute between Egypt and the UAE has delayed a key meeting aimed at resolving Sudan's ongoing civil war, according to two unnamed diplomatic sources cited by AFP.
The four-party meeting, originally scheduled for Wednesday in Washington, was to include representatives from Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the US.
The US State Department had set clear goals for the gathering, which included launching an inclusive political dialogue between Sudanese warring factions, halting foreign interference, affirming Sudan's sovereignty, and issuing a joint statement calling for an end to hostilities and facilitating humanitarian aid.
However, Washington postponed the meeting indefinitely due to last-minute disagreements over the final communiqué, the sources said.
According to them, the UAE reportedly introduced last-minute amendments excluding both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from any future transitional government—a move Egypt rejected as unacceptable.
“The Emirati amendment stipulated that neither the Sudanese army nor the RSF would participate in the transitional period,” one source said. “Egypt viewed this as a non-starter.”
No new date has been set for the rescheduled talks, but Egypt's ambassador to Washington, Motaz Zahran, told Asharq Al-Awsat that a September meeting was likely.
Cairo has repeatedly emphasized the need to preserve Sudan's national institutions, particularly the military. The UAE, by contrast, faces accusations from Sudanese officials of backing the RSF, which has been implicated in alleged atrocities in Darfur.
Against this backdrop of allegations, the International Court of Justice in May declined to hear a genocide case against the UAE, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
The US and Saudi Arabia have led multiple mediation efforts since the Sudan conflict erupted in April 2023. The conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, pits army chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan against his former deputy, RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.
