Democratic Bloc presents vision to African Union for Sudan’s crisis resolution

March 6, 2024 (CAIRO) – The Democratic Bloc, a faction within Sudan’s Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC), submitted its proposed solution to the ongoing crisis in the country to the African Union’s High-Level Panel on Sudan.

This proposal emphasizes the importance of upholding the sovereignty of state institutions and territorial integrity, aligning it closer to the position of the Sudanese military.

On Wednesday, the Democratic Bloc met with the African delegation in the Egyptian capital. This meeting was part of the delegation’s ongoing consultations with various stakeholders in Sudan throughout March.

Mohamed Zakaria, the Bloc’s spokesperson, stated that they presented “a written document outlining their vision, which reaffirms their support for the Sudanese state, the sovereignty of its institutions, the preservation of the country’s territorial integrity, and the advancement of the democratic transition.”

He further emphasized that the Democratic Bloc urged the African Union to remain impartial in its mediation efforts and include all relevant parties. They also called for the unification of regional and international initiatives for a more cohesive approach.

Building trust among civilian forces was highlighted by Zakaria as a crucial step towards establishing a comprehensive Sudanese dialogue with regional and international facilitation, as advocated by the Democratic Bloc.

This high-level mechanism was established by the African Union Commission on January 18th, 2024, to restore stability and constitutional order in Sudan. Its mission involves collaborating with the military and civilian actors, as well as the regional and international community, to achieve this goal.

Additionally, Zakaria stated that the Democratic Bloc requested the African Union to augment its humanitarian efforts and provide relief to those affected by the conflict.

(ST)