Sudanese political forces reach rare consensus on peace roadmap in Addis talks
June 5, Addis Ababa — A broad coalition of Sudanese political and civil forces announced on Thursday that they had reached a rare consensus on a shared vision for launching a peace process leading to a comprehensive political settlement to end the war — the most significant agreement between Sudanese parties since 2021.
The agreement was reached during meetings held in Addis Ababa facilitated by the Quintet mechanism, which comprises the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the Arab League, and IGAD.
The forces that reached the consensus include the Sumoud Alliance, the Democratic Bloc, the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party-Original, the Popular Congress Party, the National Umma Party, and a number of civil society, women’s, and youth organisations.
In a joint statement, the forces said the meetings produced “an agreement on launching a Sudanese peace track through a preparatory committee that will initiate the political process and pave the way for a comprehensive peaceful settlement.” They said the consensus reflects a growing will among political and civil forces to work together to end the suffering caused by the war, counter hate speech and racism, promote dialogue, and repair the damage done to Sudan’s social fabric.
The statement called for the political process to lead to comprehensive social reconciliation and agreement on a new social contract based on social justice, equality, equal citizenship, and addressing marginalisation, poverty, and uneven development.
The Sudan Liberation Army led by Abdelwahid al-Nur declined to sign the joint vision, citing disagreements over the exclusion of the National Congress Party and the Islamist movement from the political process. The SLA said the Democratic Bloc had refused to include explicit language barring the NCP, the Islamist movement, and their affiliated fronts from political transition arrangements — prompting the movement to withhold its signature.
The SLA separately noted that the Quintet consultations had produced a consensus among anti-war forces on the need to exclude the NCP and Islamist movement from any future political arrangements.
The Sumoud Alliance has long maintained its opposition to any role for the Islamist movement or its political arm in a future political process, while the Democratic Bloc insists on excluding forces affiliated with the RSF from any consultations.
Sudan has been in political crisis since October 2021, a situation that deepened sharply after the outbreak of armed conflict due to widening civil and political polarisation.