The Gulf state has long called for peace and stability in Sudan, with its envoy in Khartoum holding regular meetings with Sudanese officials.

Qatar welcomed the launch of the final phase of Sudan’s political process on Tuesday following a long period of unrest in the crisis-hit country.

In a statement, the Gulf state’s foreign ministry said the latest development is “a pivotal and important step to end” Sudan’s political crisis while calling “for the continuation of dialogue between the Sudanese parties”.

“The Ministry expresses Qatar’s full appreciation for the international and regional efforts that contributed to reaching this stage of reconciliation among the Sudanese, and renewed its full support for the unity, sovereignty and stability of Sudan,” the statement added.

On Sunday, Sudan’s military and civilian leaders in Khartoum kick started four days of talks in an effort to reach a comprehensive two-year governing period ahead of elections.

The efforts received global praise and have been described as a key step towards a civilian-led transition. 

“This step builds on the progress achieved upon the signing of the Political Framework Agreement on 5 December 2022, and marks another important step forward towards realising the aspirations of the Sudanese people for democracy, peace and sustainable development,” Stéphane Dujarric, United Nations Spokesperson, said on Monday.

The final phase comes after months of negotiations following the October 2021 military coup that stood in the way of a power-sharing government.

At the time, the junta placed Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok on house arrest along with various other officials before releasing them.

The agreement at the time came after a bloody revolution in 2019 toppled Sudan’s longtime President Omar Al-Bashir.

In August 2019, four months into the revolution, military leaders signed a power-sharing agreement with the FFC, which formed a Sovereign Council. The declaration set late 2023 as the deadline for elections to elect a civilian administration.

Sudan has also been grappling with a fragile path to democratic rule since the military’s overthrow of Bashir, with the joint civilian and military government struggling to control a dire economic and political situation in the country.

Then in December last year, Sudanese political parties and military signed a deal that aimed to pave the way for a two-year civilian transition period. 

Qatar’s efforts in Sudan

Qatar has long called for peace and stability in Sudan, with its envoy in Khartoum holding regular meetings with Sudanese officials while expressing his country’s willingness to contribute to the success of the transitional period.

In 2020, the Gulf state participated in the final signing ceremony of the peace agreement between the transitional government of Sudan and the Sudanese Armed Movements.

In 2011, Doha also sponsored a negotiation process that resulted in the Darfur Peace Agreement, which brought together the government of Sudan and the armed movements to end the six-year-long Darfur conflict.

At least 300,000 people were killed and around 2.7 million were displaced during the genocide.

Then in 2013, Qatar hosted the International Donors Conference for Reconstruction and Development in Darfur, where the country pledged to raise $7.2 billion to help rebuild the conflict area over a period of six years.