Sharp rift hits Democratic Block on eve of Quintet meeting in Addis Ababa
June 3,Addis Ababa — A severe organizational and political split has fractured the ranks of Sudan’s Democratic Block alliance over participation in upcoming meetings convened by the international Quintet mechanism on Sudan.
Preparations for the highly anticipated meetings, scheduled to begin in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Wednesday, face immense complications and disputes regarding the selection of attendees, with several prominent political factions announcing a total boycott.
Members of the Civil Front to Stop the War and Restore Democracy accused the “Somoud” alliance of exerting intense pressure on the meeting’s international organizers to exclude specific political groups. These accusations emerged shortly after Somoud declared it had resolved its reservations concerning the attendance of certain parties and dispatched its delegation to Addis Ababa.
Speaking to Sudan Tribune, Civil Front spokesperson Salem Abu Allama stated that the Somoud alliance—led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok—conditioned its participation on dividing the attendees into just three main factions to marginalize other political forces. According to Abu Allama, Somoud demanded that the framework only recognize the “Port Sudan,” “Nyala,” and “Somoud” coalitions, positioning itself as the sole anti-war bloc.
“Somoud insinuated to the organizers that the remaining coalitions maintain alliances with the former regime, despite their explicit calls for an end to the war,” Abu Allama added.
In contrast, a sharp division materialized within the Democratic Block itself. Mubarak Ardol, a prominent leader within the alliance, confirmed to Sudan Tribune that their faction would participate in Wednesday’s sessions. Conversely, a parallel wing of the Democratic Block, led by Jafar al-Mirghani and Gibril Ibrahim, announced a boycott to protest the inclusion of the “Taasis” (Founding) alliance, which is headed by leaders affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
In a statement obtained by Sudan Tribune, the boycotting faction attributed its decision to a lack of consensus over organizational arrangements, a failure to separate the political track from security tracks, and the participation of the RSF-linked Taasis alliance. They emphasized that any process must strictly adhere to the principle of Sudanese national ownership.
Meanwhile, the pro-participation faction of the Democratic Block, led by Minni Minawi and Mubarak Ardol, announced they would hold a press conference in Addis Ababa on Wednesday morning to affirm their attendance.
In a counter-statement issued just hours after the boycott announcement, the Minawi-Ardol group declared that their decision to participate is independent of any external guardianship or dictates. They characterized the boycotting group’s stance as a sudden retreat from a prior commitment to attend.
“Over the past 72 hours, new developments have emerged whose nature and backing remain unclear to the Democratic Block,” the statement read. “This resulted in certain parties abruptly abandoning their previously committed stance regarding participation and shifting to an entirely different position.”
The Role of the Quintet Mechanism
The international Quintet committee comprises the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the Arab League, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The mechanism seeks to contain the widening Sudanese crisis and bridge the gap between rival political forces ahead of a comprehensive political process to determine the country’s governance.
The Addis Ababa meeting is the culmination of months of consultations with various political stakeholders. Organizers are attempting to explore the feasibility of establishing a unified, Sudanese-led mechanism to facilitate negotiations on transitional arrangements, support the cessation of hostilities, and prepare for an all-inclusive national dialogue.
According to the official invitation letters sent to participants, the guest list for this initial meeting was carefully structured to ensure broad political, geographical, and gender representation. The organizers clarified that attendance at this opening stage is neither final nor exhaustive, noting that the process remains flexible and open to expansion.
The mechanism plans to expand participation across two subsequent rounds. The second meeting is scheduled for July 8–9 in Addis Ababa to ensure greater inclusivity, while the dates for subsequent sessions will be finalized during the July talks.