Meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador to Sudan

On April 24, 2024, ECFA received the Norwegian Ambassador to Sudan, currently residing in Kenya, Mr. Endre Stiansen, at the Diplomatic Club in Tahrir Square, upon his request.

ECFA Chairman and Director welcomed the Norwegian Ambassador, and in turn, the Norwegian Ambassador thanked them for the warm reception. This meeting was held to get acquainted with the dimensions of ECFA’s community initiative organized by Ambassador Dr. Salah Halima and his team, to resolve the Sudanese crisis, and to discuss the possibility of cooperation with the Norwegian side to support the initiative, as well as consulting on developments of the situation in Sudan.

Accordingly, he described the situation in Sudan as dire explaining that there are fears that the unity of Sudan is now threatened. As such, there is a pessimistic view regarding Sudan and the consequences of this conflict that will extend for generations to come, and therefore it is important to direct regional and international efforts to halting the war instead of supporting one party against the other, stressing the importance of Egypt’s role – as it hosts one and a half million Sudanese refugees – in order to restore stability to Sudan, and to sisterly Egypt.

He explained that Washington prefers an Egyptian role to resolve the crisis in Sudan, including joining the Jeddah track, but he expressed reservations about the issue of reviving the Jeddah track due to the failure to reach results through it, adding that the Paris conference was not successful since it avoided inviting Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, but he commended the Egyptian role in this conference.

In this context, the Norwegian ambassador stressed the importance of finding an African solution, and that there should be an effective role for the African Union and IGAD. Regarding the future leadership of Sudan, the Norwegian ambassador hinted that Dr. Abdallah Hamdok can still play a role in restoring stability in Sudan, and he will be accepted if he is nominated for the post of prime minister, as he represents the civilian trend in Sudan. He is also in contact with some symbols of the Sudanese political elite residing in Cairo.