Somoud to boycott African Union-led consultations in Addis Ababa

July 28, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Democratic Civil Alliance, known as Somoud and led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, has decided to boycott upcoming Sudanese political consultations facilitated by the quintet mechanism in Addis Ababa.

The quintet mechanism, comprising the United Nations, African Union, European Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Arab League, seeks to bridge deep divisions among Sudanese political and civic factions regarding the structure, venue, and participating parties of a proposed peace process.

Bakry Eljack, spokesman for Somoud, told Sudan Tribune on Tuesday that the coalition sent a letter to the mechanism outlining critical observations on the current mediation methodology and proposing a Sudanese-led process that prioritizes an immediate humanitarian truce.

Somoud advocated for forming a joint preparatory committee representing key anti-war coalitions to manage preliminary consultations and reach genuine consensus on the dialogue agenda, rather than attending broad meetings in Ethiopia featuring more than 30 individual invitees.

The coalition stressed that a durable political solution requires building trust, securing firm commitments from the warring parties to honour outcomes, and ensuring that remnants of the former regime and Islamic movement are excluded from shaping the nation’s political future.

Meanwhile, Democratic Block leader Mubarak Ardol announced his coalition’s intention to attend the August 2 consultations in Ethiopia, while emphasizing that any serious political process must ultimately lead to an inclusive national dialogue held inside Sudan, free from external dictates.

Ardol conditioned future engagement with the pro-Rapid Support Forces “Tasis” coalition on its civil components severing ties with the paramilitary group, dismantling parallel governance structures, and explicitly condemning violations committed against civilians.