African Union envoys hold first post-coup talks in Sudan
August 16, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – An African Union delegation met with top Sudanese officials in Khartoum on Sunday to discuss efforts to end the country’s ongoing conflict, marking the bloc’s first visit since the military seized power in an October 2021 coup.
Sudan’s membership in the 55-member continental body was suspended following the 2021 military takeover.
The delegation from the AU Peace and Security Council held talks with Sovereign Council leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Kamil Idris.
Mohamed Khaled, the council’s rotating president for this month, said the body respects Sudan’s sovereignty and unity, while expressing concern over the war’s mounting casualties, infrastructure damage, and humanitarian toll.
Khaled urged inclusive political dialogue and national reconciliation to pave the way toward free and fair elections, rejecting any external interference or the creation of parallel authorities.
The AU is part of a five-member diplomatic mechanism, alongside the United Nations, European Union, the regional grouping IGAD, and the Arab League, aimed at resolving disagreements among Sudanese factions over the format and venue of proposed peace talks.
In a separate statement, the cabinet said Prime Minister Idris warned that the government would not tolerate any equating of the national army with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with which it has been locked in conflict.
Idris also urged the African Union to support classifying the RSF as a terrorist organisation, while stating that the military is advancing in the Greater Kordofan region ahead of operations in Darfur.
Burhan had previously agreed on Friday to provide security guarantees and immunity from prosecution for participants in a planned internal national dialogue aimed at charting a path toward elections.
Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salem described the council’s visit as historic, stating it reflected improving security conditions in the capital.