Sudanese Forces Express Concerns Over Clarity in African Union’s Agenda for Resolving Ongoing Crisis

Ethiomonitor -Addis Ababa 

September 26, 2025 

Sudanese national political and civil forces convened with African Union representatives on September 22, 2025, to discuss their participation in the Sudanese Dialogue meetings scheduled for October 6-10, 2025. This meeting follows an official letter sent to the African Union, in which the forces expressed their reservations about the dialogue process.

According to a press release signed by the Democratic Bloc, National Movement Forces, Sudan Justice Alliance, Coordination Committee for the Return to the Founding Platform, Popular Congress Party, Alliance of Civil Society Organizations, and Sudanese Women’s Bloc, the Sudanese forces expressed gratitude to the African Union, the League of Arab States, the United Nations, and IGAD for their efforts to facilitate dialogue aimed at resolving the ongoing crisis in Sudan. They emphasized the importance of unifying regional and international efforts, which should be preceded by extensive consultations with political and civil stakeholders.

Transparency among mediators was highlighted as essential for establishing trust and ensuring the success of the dialogue. However, the Sudanese forces raised concerns over the lack of clarity in the African Union’s invitation, particularly regarding the agenda, dialogue topics, participant selection, and logistical arrangements. They asserted that “the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue must be nationally owned and driven by the will of the Sudanese people, with the national political and civil forces responsible for setting the agenda and methodology for the discussions.”

They stressed that the upcoming meetings should build upon previous consultations facilitated by the African Union in July 2024 and February 2025, rather than creating a new dialogue framework. The forces firmly rejected the participation of the so-called founding government in any dialogue, citing previous rejections by the African Peace and Security Council, the Arab League, and the UN Security Council regarding the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia government.

Additionally, the forces emphasized the need to create a conducive environment for dialogue and highlighted the priority of implementing Security Council Resolution 2736 (2024), which calls for lifting the siege of El Fasher and addressing humanitarian conditions in Kadugli, Dilling, and Babanusa.