Sudan’s army chief holds unannounced talks on national dialogue

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Khartoum, Sudan – Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has held unannounced consultations with political and civil society groups and figures, resulting in agreement on steps to create the conditions for a Sudanese dialogue conference, political sources aware of the discussions have told Al Jazeera.

The consultations include proposals to drop charges punishable by death against opposition leaders and to form a preparatory committee for the proposed conference.

No preconditions

Participants in the consultations have agreed on the need to select a preparatory committee for the dialogue conference, made up of independent, widely accepted figures with specialised expertise. The committee would determine who takes part, the agenda, and the venue and date of the conference, as well as invite international and regional parties to monitor it, according to the political sources.

Hatem al-Sir, adviser to the head of the Democratic Unionist Party-Original, said Khartoum is witnessing intensive political activity and ongoing consultations in preparation for an intra-Sudanese dialogue, with the support of regional forces.

In a post on X, he said al-Burhan had held meetings with leaders of political blocs, chiefs of native administration, Sufi order leaders, independent national figures, academics, professionals and resistance committees. The meetings focused on strengthening national consensus and reaching an agreed national project.

The Quintet – made up of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the Arab League – has also been attempting to secure an agreement among Sudan’s competing political blocs on the structure of a proposed national dialogue, but has so far struggled.

Its latest round of discussions, which began in Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa on July 29, failed to bridge differences among Sudanese parties over arrangements for the conference. Several political groups, including Somoud, did not attend the meetings.

A cosmetic process

Babiker Faisal, a leader in the Somoud alliance, accused the Quintet of retreating from understandings that had previously been reached over arrangements for the political process. Faisal described the Quintet as “no longer a neutral umbrella” for sponsoring dialogue, saying that it had strayed from the principle of Sudanese ownership of the political process.

In a social media post, Faisal said the Quintet had recently called for consultations involving alliances and individuals, some of whom, he said, “have no presence in the political arena”. He added that most participants represented parties supportive of the army, which he said contradicted pledges by the Quad – the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt – to launch a political process not dominated by either side of the conflict.

He also accused Sudan’s army leadership of seeking to exploit military developments to launch a “cosmetic political process” aimed, in his words, at bolstering the legitimacy of its authority, restoring regional and international recognition, and forming governing institutions loyal to it that would grant the army chief broad powers for an extended period.

In a statement issued Friday, the Quintet said it would continue efforts to advance Sudan’s political process through renewed consultations with civilian forces and stakeholders, seeking to narrow differences over the path ahead and reach common ground that could pave the way for a Sudanese-led political settlement.

The group said broadening the scope of consultations and ensuring their inclusiveness were essential to building trust, establishing legitimacy and reaching a shared understanding that could support a credible, Sudanese-led political process.

The Quintet also reaffirmed its respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity and rejected parallel governing structures, while calling for de-escalation and efforts towards a negotiated, sustainable peace.

No exclusion

Separately, leading figures in the National Congress Party (NCP) – which led Sudan during the rule of President Omar al-Bashir until his overthrow in 2018 – criticised al-Burhan’s announcement that their party would not be part of the political process.

Al-Bashir had made the announcement last week, saying that an intra-Sudanese dialogue conference would be held, but that it would not include figures associated with the RSF – namely the political group Tasis – and the NCP.

Former Federal Governance Minister and National Congress Party leader Hamid Mumtaz said that equating the NCP with RSF-aligned forces was “a catastrophic mistake and a statement out of touch with a complex political reality”.

Mumtaz said it was untenable to place the RSF, which he described as “a rebel militia that hijacked the state and waged war against citizens”, on the same footing as the NCP, which he said had “sent its grassroots supporters and cadres to fight alongside the armed forces to reclaim the state”.

The politician warned against the exclusion of the NCP, citing the example of the banning of the Ba’ath Party in Iraq and what he described as its catastrophic consequences. He added that any partial political dialogue, or one dominated by any particular party, would remain isolated and be doomed to fail, and would not lead to a stable Sudan.

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