Sudanese leaders gather in Nairobi to build broadest civilian front to end war
May 20, Nairobi — A prominent delegation of Sudanese political, civilian, and armed movement leaders arrived in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday to take part in high-level meetings aimed at establishing an expansive civilian alliance to halt the country’s ongoing conflict.
The two-day meetings, scheduled for May 22–23, bring together the signatories of the “Sudanese Declaration of Principles for Building a New Homeland,” a foundational framework signed in Nairobi in mid-December 2025.
The declaration explicitly asserts that “there is no military solution in Sudan” and calls for sustained pressure on the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and their respective armed allies to commit to the peace roadmap proposed by the Quad mechanism in September 2025.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune, Mohamed Abdel Rahman, spokesperson for the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdul Wahid Al-Nur (SLM-AW), stated that the deliberations will focus heavily on the current political realities, the ongoing war, and mechanisms to develop and expand the core principles of the declaration.
Abdel Rahman emphasized that the primary objective of these meetings is to forge the “broadest civilian front” dedicated to ending the war. However, he noted that certain factions would be strictly excluded from the initiative.
“Our goal is to unify the widest possible spectrum of civilian forces to stop the war. This platform will exclude the National Congress Party (NCP), the Islamic Movement, and any groups that actively reject peaceful solutions,” Abdel Rahman told Sudan Tribune.
The newly arrived delegation in Nairobi includes a roster of key political and civil figures. Among them are Dr. Abdalla Hamdok, head of the “Samoud” coalition; Abdul Wahid Mohamed Nur, leader of the SLM; Omar Al-Digeir, president of the Sudanese Congress Party; and Al-Wathiq Al-Berier, Secretary-General of the National Umma Party.
Other prominent figures participating include Yasir Arman, leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (Revolutionary Democratic Current); Babiker Faisal, head of the Executive Bureau of the Unionist Alliance; Ali Al-Rih Al-Sanhouri, leader of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party – Original; Kamal Boulad, leader of the National Ba’ath Party; and Taha Osman, head of the Professional and Trade Unions Coordination.
The gathering also features extensive representation from broader civil society organizations, non-governmental groups, and public figures.
These consultations come at a critical juncture for Sudan, as political settlement efforts remain deeply stalled while military operations and violent clashes continue to escalate across several regions of the country.