General Mufaddal’s European Tour: A Turning Point in Sudan-EU Relations, Says Sudanese Consultant

Washington, D.C, District of Columbia Sep 23, 2024 (EMWNews.com) – Mekki Elmograbi, a consultant with the Sudanese government, said that the visits of Sudanese General Intelligence Service (GIS) Chief General Ibrahim Mufaddal to Italy, France, and five other countries were successful and productive. “Europeans freed themselves from the influence of the RSF’s regional sponsor, the same goes for part of the American political community, but not for the administration,” he said.

He added that the Trump administration saw more constructive engagement with Sudan, but under Biden’s, there was a regression that led Sudan to slide into war.

Elmograbi, speaking to the Official Spokesman Platform of Sudan (OSP-SD), said the RSF militia provides a supportive environment for human trafficking. The militia itself practices trafficking in persons (TIP), and its presence means it will facilitate access to Europe for criminals and terrorists among irregular migrants. According to him, migration, due to RSF militias, is shifting from economic reasons to the smuggling of criminal and terrorist elements “This is why Europe has finally chosen the right side” Mekki said.

Elmograbi also said in an article with MCAA Think Tank that Mufaddal’s “intelligence diplomacy” tour included five Arab countries, namely Saudia, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, and Libya.

Within MCAA groups, analysts are reflecting on the United States’ foreign policy toward Sudan, with many pointing to contrasting approaches between the Trump and Biden administrations. While U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia’s attempts to seize the city of El-Fasher in Darfur, it is widely agreed that the U.S. response has been largely reactionary. Elmograbi argued that the war could have been avoided with better U.S. foreign policy leadership, particularly if the Trump administration’s strategies of constructive engagement had been maintained.

He further highlighted in his article that European countries like France and Italy have taken steps ahead of the U.S., working closely with Sudanese intelligence to contain the crisis, while U.S. officials are more aligned with the UAE agenda.

Elmograbi disclosed that high-level meetings between French intelligence officials and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs with General Ibrahim Mufaddal signaled a major shift in France. “France is no longer just watching the situation unfold,” he said. “They are actively involved in shaping the outcome by fostering intelligence cooperation to stop the conflict.”

Italy’s intelligence officials have also expressed to Sudan their deep concern about the implications of terrorism stemming from Sudan’s war. Their discussions with Mufaddal focused on how Sudan’s destabilization could lead to an increase in terrorist activities, both in Africa and Europe.

Under the Trump administration, Sudan was removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a monumental shift that opened doors for international aid and cooperation with Sudan’s transitional government. Elmograbi points out that Trump’s decision, finalized in December 2020, was a pivotal moment that could have led to stronger U.S.-Sudan relations.

However, the current Democratic administration’s foreign policy has been less decisive and less pragmatic. Elmograbi emphasized that while security cooperation between the U.S. and Sudan began in 2001 and reached its peak under Trump, intelligence cooperation faltered once the Biden administration took office, Quad mechanism established (USA, UK, KSA, UAE), the U.S. Ambassador John Godfrey became the mechanism’s ambassador which mainly dominated by UAE agenda, not US interests. “The delay in effective political action by the current administration allowed space for the conflict to escalate,” Elmograbi explained. The Democratic approach, which focused more on political intervention rather than pragmatic relations and security cooperation with GIS, allowed the RSF militia to grow in power, leading to the devastating conflict seen today.

The Sudanese crisis is a stark reminder of how foreign policy shifts can have profound consequences. The Trump administration’s proactive measures in Sudan laid a foundation for peace, but the current administration’s passive approach has contributed to the ongoing turmoil. Elmograbi concluded, “It’s time for the U.S. to return to a position of strength and work actively with Sudanese intelligence and military forces to secure the future of Sudan and prevent further escalation.”

In a video commentary on the channel Sudan’s Media Consultant-Washington D.C. Mekki explained how the ‘Salesian Operation’ paved the way for better cooperation between intelligence services in Sudan and Europe. Mekki was referring to the evacuation of Italian nuns and African children from the Mary House Church in Khartoum after RSF attacked them. The special operation was carried out by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Counter-Terrorism Forces of the GIS.