Sudanese political talks end without deal on broad national front

January 28, 2025 (NAIROBI) – Sudanese political factions meeting in Nairobi this week failed to reach a concrete agreement on forming a broad national front encompassing parties and armed movements, including the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), sources told Sudan Tribune.

The talks, convened at the SLM’s invitation, highlighted deep divisions among the groups, particularly over the role of civil society organizations and the relationship between religion and the state.

Sources familiar with the discussions said the SLM, led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur, insisted that participants from civil society and professional bodies should be independent of political party affiliation. This position is supported by some other groups wary of political parties using such organizations as proxies.

The issue of representation within any future alliance also proved contentious. Similar disputes over power-sharing have plagued Sudanese political coalitions since the ousting of Omer al-Bashir in 2019, including the former Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the current Tagadum alliance.

The SPLM, led by Abdel Aziz al-Hilu, reiterated its calls for a secular state or self-determination for the Nuba Mountains region, a position that met with resistance from some other factions, sources said. A Tagadum official told Sudan Tribune that while there was some agreement on secularism, the Umma and Ba’ath parties expressed reservations.

Shihab Ibrahim, a Tagadum leader, said the Nairobi meetings addressed a range of issues aimed at establishing a general political framework. He acknowledged that disagreements were natural and discussions would continue. He clarified that no formal charter was proposed, but rather, a series of issues were under discussion.

The stalled talks underscore the challenges facing efforts to forge a united civilian front to restore a transition to democratic rule in Sudan. Parallel efforts are underway to broaden the political base, with meetings recently held in Cairo between Tagadum members, the Democratic Bloc, and Mubarak al-Fadil, head of the National Reconciliation Alliance, to explore a wider round-table conference.