Sudanese Political and Civil Forces Voice Reservations Over AU-Backed Dialogue

Addis Ababa – Sudanhorizon

A statement issued by the Sudanese national political and civil forces on Tuesday said they met on Monday with the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa to discuss the invitation they received to participate in the Sudanese dialogue meetings scheduled to take place from October 6 to 10, 2025. This came in response to an official letter they had previously sent to the African Union outlining their reservations about the invitation.

The Sudanese national forces thanked the parties overseeing the dialogue—represented by the African Union, the Arab League, the United Nations, and IGAD—for their efforts in facilitating the dialogue, and reaffirmed their welcome of regional and international efforts to resolve the Sudanese crisis. They emphasized “the importance of unifying these efforts, which should be preceded by broad consultations with political and civil forces, and the need for mediators to adhere to transparency as a foundation for building trust—one of the prerequisites for the success of the dialogue.”

The statement noted that the AU invitation lacked clarity, particularly regarding fundamental issues such as the agenda, topics and mechanisms of the dialogue, participating parties, funding, and the role of mediators and facilitators, in addition to specifying its time and venue. In this regard, the Sudanese national political and civil forces affirmed that the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue process must be nationally owned and driven by a Sudanese will. From this perspective, the national political and societal forces are solely responsible for setting the agenda, defining the dialogue issues, determining methodology, and establishing criteria for participation.

The forces stressed that the upcoming meetings should build on the consultation sessions launched by the African Union—in which Sudanese political and civil forces participated in July 2024 and February 2025—and that outcomes of these sessions should form the basis for continuation, rather than laying the foundation for a new dialogue track.

The Sudanese national political and civil forces also announced their rejection of the participation of the so-called “Government of Tasis” in the dialogue process, and their apology for declining to take part in any dialogue in which “Tasis” would be a party.

The statement recalled that the AU Peace and Security Council had categorically rejected the so-called “Government of Tasis” (the militia government of the Rapid Support Forces) in July, followed by the Arab League in the same month, and that the UN Security Council similarly refused to recognize the militia government in August. Therefore, the statement added, allowing representatives of the alleged government to participate in dialogues organized by the three organizations would constitute a violation of their principled positions.

The Sudanese national political and civil forces further explained that the preparatory consultation sessions for the Sudanese dialogue require creating an enabling environment for genuine dialogue. They stressed that the top priority lies in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2736 of 2024, which demanded that the militia lift its siege on El Fasher, provide relief to those affected by the war, and address the humanitarian situation in Kadugli, Dilling, and Babnousa.

It is noteworthy that the signatories include the Democratic Bloc, the National Movement Forces, the Sudan Justice Alliance, the Coordination of Return to the Tasis Platform, the Popular Congress Party, the Civil Society Organizations Alliance, and the Sudanese Women’s Bloc

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