Sudan: African Union and IGAD plan to hold consultations with banned NCP
October 18, 2023 (CAIRO) – A prominent member of the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) has disclosed that the African Union and IGAD are planning to hold a meeting with the banned National Congress Party (NCP) in an effort to involve them in an upcoming inclusive political process they prepare to convene.
A meeting took place in the Egyptian capital on Monday between a joint delegation of the African Union and IGAD with the Democratic Bloc, followed by a second meeting with the FFC on Tuesday.
A key representative of the pro-democracy coalition informed Sudan Tribune that African Union officials have conveyed their intention to hold talks with the NCP’s Islamist leaders, aiming to incorporate them into the dialogue they intend to organise in collaboration with IGAD and the United Nations.
“In response, we emphasized that any endeavor to include the National Congress Party would signal the failure of the political process,” he stated. Furthermore, he stressed that all other democratic factions would abstain from participating in any initiative that incorporates the NCP or its affiliates.
He went on to mention that the joint delegation indicated that they would bring this matter to the attention of other factions and that the dissolved party would not be associated if the majority of political forces collectively rejected the inclusion of the Islamist party.
African Union officials remain steadfast in their belief in the necessity of establishing an all-encompassing political process that involves all political groups, irrespective of their stances, arguing that this is the sole means of ensuring political stability in Sudan.
Conversely, the democratic forces argue that the involvement of the NCP at this stage would sabotage the democratic transition process and their aspirations for the creation of a liberal regime that upholds cultural diversity and a citizenship-based state.
The NCP is blamed for its refusal to assess its governance over the past three decades. Also, it remains steadfast in its commitment to the Islamic State project and opposes the adoption of a constitution that acknowledges the separation of religion and state.
According to the leading FFC member, the joint delegation expressed their intention to consult with the League of Arab States to design a political process that the parties plan to participate in.
The AU-IGAD delegation intends to convene a preparatory meeting, assembling between 60 to 80 delegates without any preconditions. The Sudanese participants will determine the eligibility of attendees for the intra-Sudanese dialogue process and set its agenda.
During the meeting, the joint delegation explored the possibility of the military becoming involved in the political process and voiced their readiness to facilitate the process should the Sudanese parties request their assistance.
The FFC is expected to present their position paper on the conference to the African Union and IGAD after launching a civil coalition in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, next week.
The joint delegation African Union represented in the delegation by Mohamed Al-Hassan Labbad and Mohamed Belaish, while Ismail Weiss represented IGAD.
The three-member delegation includes Mohamed El-Hacen Lebatt, the Spokesperson for the AU Process for Sudan and Mohamed Belaish representing the African Union alongside Ismail Wais who serves as the IGAD envoy for Sudan.
(ST)