Boycott of Berlin Conference Increases, Amid Accusations of Hijacking Representation 

Cairo – Sudanhorizon – Sabah Moussa

Rejection and boycotts of the peace and reconstruction conference scheduled for April 15 in Berlin, Germany, continue to increase from Sudanese political forces. The conference is to be preceded by a preparatory meeting in Addis Ababa from April 10 to 12. However,  criticism is mounting regarding the nature of the invitations and the organizational mechanisms.

The Central Committee of the National Professionals Association said it is boycotting the conference, citing what it described as the “deviation” of the five-member mechanism from its role as a neutral mediator. In a statement issued on  Saturday, and signed by the head of its executive office, Mariam al-Hindi, the Central Committee stated that its previous participation in meetings with the mechanism was intended to support peace efforts and correct what it considered misconceptions about the war in Sudan. However, it later concluded that these were in fact attempts aiming to re-introduce the Framework  Agreement in a new cloak.

The Central Committee accused the five-member mechanism of interfering in determining the course of the Berlin Conference and selecting participants, considering this a reflection of an attempt to reproduce the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) by replicating the framework agreement with limited amendments. The statement added that these moves represent an attempt to divide the national ranks by excluding influential forces and replacing them with what it described as amorphous forces, asserting that national forces will not be deceived by these steps.

The Central Committee emphasized its commitment to the peace option, but stressed the necessity of a “Sudanese-Sudanese peace” achieved through a comprehensive internal dialogue without exclusion, rejecting any external guardianship or interference that affects national decision-making. It reiterated its commitment to working towards achieving a sustainable peace and preserving national unity.

Meanwhile, the National Forces Coordination announced that it is not  participating in the conference. Its head, Mohamed Sayed Ahmed Sir Al-Khatim Al-Jakoumi, told Sudanhorizon that the invitations were distributed in an unfair manner, and in favor of the “Sumoud” group, while excluding a number of national forces and independent figures.

For its part, the Democratic Bloc clarified that it is still studying the invitation in order to reach a unified position. Its official spokesperson, Dr. Mohamed Zakaria, Sudanhorizon that there were flaws in the criteria applied for selecting participants and a lack of agreement among the various parties on clear foundations.

He emphasized the Bloc’s keenness to avoid repeating the experience of the framework agreement. Meanwhile, Dr. Tijani Sisi, head of the National Movement Forces, told Sudanhorizon that he was concerned about the imbalance in representation among the participating forces. He pointed to information indicating that the majority of those invited belong to the Sumud group, which he considered a challenge to some national forces. He called on regional and international mediators to adhere to neutrality and transparency in representing the true stakeholders at such conferences

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