Exclusive National Dialogue in Sudan: A Bandage on a Wooden Leg

After more than three years of war, Sudan is preparing for a national dialogue intended to pull the country out of crisis. The initiative comes from General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who leads the national armed forces and called in mid-August for talks aimed at establishing lasting peace. Consultations have begun and are continuing in Khartoum.

But the proposal immediately raises a central question: how can a national dialogue work if it excludes the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemetti? Al-Burhan has clearly chosen not to include his principal adversary. That decision makes the initiative difficult to understand, because peace is made with opponents, not with friends.

The Rapid Support Forces are not only a military force. They control a substantial part of Sudanese territory. Any dialogue without their participation therefore appears unlikely to produce tangible results. Al-Burhan, the article argues, should have extended his hand to his main rival, even if Hemetti later rejected the offer. By excluding him, the army chief risks making his opponent appear more sympathetic to many of his critics.

Other influential groups have also rejected the proposed process. Political and civil society actors who met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said they oppose the war but believe al-Burhan’s call for national dialogue seeks to legitimize power he acquired under disputed circumstances.

The initiative could still change course, but the article warns that Sudan may be heading toward a monologue rather than a national dialogue. The country has become a field of ruins after years of fighting, and the proposed talks will not help the suffering Sudanese people if they leave major social, political and military forces outside the room.