The Face of Truth: Saudi Arabia Moves Its Peace Initiative
Ibrahim Shaglawi
The undeclared visit carried out early this week by a high-level Saudi delegation to Port Sudan, and what has leaked regarding an anticipated invitation for President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to visit Riyadh, comes within the context of reshaping a new regional approach to the peace file in Sudan. This confirms that there may already be practical understandings taking shape, which could represent an entry point for activating the Saudi peace initiative.
In terms of form, the visit reflected the style of “quiet diplomacy” preferred by Riyadh in complex files, where sensitive issues are managed away from the spotlight, in preparation for their later announcement once understandings mature. In terms of substance, the leadership of the delegation—reported by local media to be the Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister—reinforces the hypothesis that the meeting carried a direct political message at the highest level, connected to resetting the course of the settlement, and perhaps extending an invitation to a forthcoming meeting in Riyadh to establish a new political framework building on the Jeddah platform.
From the perspective of political analysis, it is more likely that the visit was not merely to convey an invitation for President al-Burhan to visit Riyadh. Such a purpose would not require a high-level delegation, nor a private aircraft, nor this level of secrecy, nor would it occur at such a highly sensitive regional moment. Invitations are conveyed through the usual diplomatic channels—such as an ambassador—not through “shadow diplomacy.”
Therefore, the politically logical conclusion is that the delegation carried an initial formulation of a vision or a framework of principles, not a fully developed initiative, presented orally or in the form of reference points, with the aim of testing the position of the Sudanese senior leadership and measuring the readiness of the Sudanese state, with its sovereign and security institutions, to deliberate on it internally. Such a formulation, as is well known, is not announced before passing through a phase of “silent deliberation” within the relevant state institutions.
According to this reading, the anticipated visit of al-Burhan would not be to begin the discussion, but rather to present the Sudanese response to what was put forward—whether through acceptance, reservation, or a request for amendment. In other words, Riyadh, in this case, is moving through a gradual approach that takes into account the importance of sounding out and consulting the Sudanese domestic arena. Thus, it can be described as a high-level political visit aimed at launching a potential negotiating track with the Rapid Support Forces militia, or perhaps prior to that, at reaching consensus on acceptable mediators.
Conversely, the possibility that the visit merely conveyed an invitation remains theoretically possible, but politically weak. Saudi Arabia, by virtue of its experience with the Sudanese file since the Jeddah platform, has moved beyond the stage of general invitations and entered the phase of re-engineering the track after realizing that previous approaches did not produce sustainable peace.
These moves acquire their deeper meaning when placed within the context of rapid regional transformations, particularly the Kingdom’s recognition of the importance of the Red Sea as a strategic depth that cannot tolerate a vacuum or chaos. Sudan, by virtue of its geographical location and historical weight, remains a cornerstone in the Red Sea security equation, and any Saudi approach to peace in Sudan proceeds from a dual equation: ending the war and securing regional stability. From here, Riyadh’s efforts appear as part of a vision for coordinating regional security for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
Within this framework, the meeting cannot be separated from the discussions conducted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the Sudanese crisis, where the two sides agreed on the necessity of urgent movement to stop the war. Al-Burhan’s welcome of the Saudi–American initiative, and his declaration of full readiness to cooperate with it, grants Riyadh the position of a “political guarantor” that is acceptable domestically and regionally—a role not available to many other actors.
Domestically, these moves coincided with a wave of widespread demonstrations inside Sudan and abroad, in which citizens expressed their support for the armed forces, in a clear political message that strengthens the position of the military leadership in any forthcoming negotiating track. Al-Burhan’s tweet on the eve of the demonstrations, in which he thanked the Sudanese people, was a calculated and astute political signal indicating that he possesses popular backing that he seeks to translate politically in any anticipated settlement, thereby redefining the balance of negotiating power.
In light of the foregoing, we can suggest that the Saudi delegation did not come with a single message, but with two interlinked messages. The first: a political vision under deliberation, intended to be discussed within Sudanese state institutions.
The second: a conditional invitation for al-Burhan to visit Riyadh, to come as a subsequent step if a coherent Sudanese response to that vision crystallizes.
In this sense, according to The Face of Truth, the anticipated visit—if it takes place—will be a decisive station for formulating a roadmap that may later be presented as an “initiative,” while in essence it is the product of prior understandings that matured in silence. If this path is completed, Riyadh may become the platform for launching a more realistic peace equation, grounded in a deep understanding of the complexities of the Sudanese domestic scene, and looking ahead to the future of stability in Sudan and the region.
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Monday, December 15, 2025
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