African Union Welcomes Dialogue Between Sudanese Factions to End War

The African Union has welcomed the start of a Sudanese dialogue process that supporters hope can help end three years of war, but opposition forces have already challenged its credibility.

The bloc said the initiative would facilitate Sudanese-to-Sudanese talks inside Sudan under the supervision of an independent committee of Sudanese elders. It called for the participation of all civilian, political and social actors, and said the process should be guided by inclusion and genuine Sudanese leadership.

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The Commission’s leadership welcomes the launch of an initiative to facilitate Sudanese-to-Sudanese dialogue inside Sudan, under the supervision of an independent committee of Sudanese elders.

The Preparatory Committee for the Sudanese-Sudanese Dialogue began work on Sunday to create conditions for a transitional process. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced the initiative in mid-August, and the military supports it.

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Inclusion and genuine Sudanese participation and leadership.

The opposition alliance Sumud, led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, rejected the talks. Its members argued that the process is taking place in areas under Army control and therefore lacks impartiality. In a joint statement, they said it could legitimize the de facto authorities and restore elements of Omar al-Bashir’s Islamist regime, which ruled from 1989 to 2019.

The opposition called instead for an independent peace process with an international framework that would first guarantee a ceasefire. The conflict between the Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023. Since then, it has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced another 14 million, according to the report.

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A united, sovereign and peaceful country.