Sudan political factions seek new alliance to restore civilian rule
January 23, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese political groups that split from the main pro-democracy coalition are accelerating efforts to form a broad alliance aimed at restoring civilian rule after nearly four years of military-led government, party officials said.
The proposed alliance brings together factions that diverged from the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) following the October 2021 military takeover and the outbreak of war between the army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023.
The National Umma Party (NUP) faction led by Mohamed Abdalla al-Doma and the National Current, which includes former members of the Sudanese Congress Party, held a joint meeting this week to advance the coordination, according to a statement from the two groups.
The NUP is currently divided into three factions: one led by acting chairman Fadlallah Burma Nasir, which supports the RSF; another led by al-Doma, which backs the army; and a third led by secretary-general al-Watheiq al-Berir, which opposes the war.
CIVILIAN TRANSITION
The meeting addressed ending the war, establishing a transitional government, and building national consensus toward civilian rule, the statement said. Participants also discussed social peace initiatives and combating hate speech.
Officials from both parties said they reached an agreement on coordinating efforts and expanding communication with other political forces to build a civilian front focused on comprehensive peace and Sudanese-led dialogue.
“The two parties affirmed their full commitment to preserving the unity and sovereignty of Sudan,” the statement said, adding that they rejected attempts to establish parallel governing bodies under the RSF.
They called for a transitional period led by a civilian government with national legitimacy and stressed the need for the armed forces to remain outside politics, the statement added.
ARMY BACKING
The political realignment comes as army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan courts traditional and political allies. On Thursday, Burhan received a delegation from the Ansar sect led by Ahmed al-Mahdi, who presented a document pledging the sect’s support for the armed forces in what he termed the “war of dignity,” a reference to the conflict against the RSF.
“Sudan will remain a nation resilient against conspiracies targeting its security and stability,” al-Mahdi told Burhan, according to a statement from the sovereign council.
Al-Doma’s NUP faction, the National Current, and the Ansar sect all support the army in its war against the RSF.
“WATAN” ALLIANCE
The parties plan to announce the “Watan” (Homeland) Alliance of Revolutionary Forces for National Issues at a political seminar scheduled for Jan. 26 at the NUP headquarters in Omdurman, according to the statement.
The building had previously been occupied by pro-army fighting groups before al-Doma and Abdel Rahman al-Mahdi, son of the late NUP leader Sadiq al-Mahdi, worked to recover it.
The proposed alliance is expected to include the General Secretariat wing of the Unionist Alliance, the Middle Current, the National Unionist Party, the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, and the National Will Party, as well as civil society groups, Sufi orders, and native administrations, the statement said.