A five-day meeting held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, aimed at initiating a dialogue between Sudan’s political and civil organizations, concluded on July 15th with mixed results. Although attendees signed a roadmap towards ending the war through a democratic transition, significant divisions persist, and the absence of key participants hindered the inclusivity of the dialogue.
The organizations present agreed on a political vision to be advanced during the dialogue. However, the absence of the most prominent civil front, Taqaddum, highlighted ongoing challenges. Taqaddum boycotted the meeting, citing a lack of consultation and objecting to the presence of participants affiliated with the former regime of Omar al-Bashir.
Sudanese diplomat Sati Nureldin, a senior figure within Taqaddum, attended the meeting in an intermediary capacity rather than as a representative of the movement. He lamented the divisions, stating, “The vision we adopted now includes an openness to others, which was not easy.
This group initially refused to engage with Taqaddum. However, they have now expressed a willingness to dialogue with them. The next step involves the African Union and IGAD consulting with those who were absent to understand their perspectives and expectations, with the aim of eventually bringing both groups together at an undetermined future date.”
In addition to the official communiqué, participants issued a separate declaration condemning the actions of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which are fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces in the ongoing conflict. They denounced the war crimes committed by RSF soldiers and called for an end to foreign interference supporting the RSF. This political stance, however, was not included in the official document concluding the five-day meeting, as the African Union deemed it outside its purview to take sides.
The path to peace in Sudan remains fraught with challenges, but the Addis Ababa meeting marks a step towards dialogue and potential resolution, despite the notable obstacles and absences.