Sudan army chief Burhan offers legal, security guarantees for national dialogue
August 14, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s military leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has announced government backing for legal, political, and security guarantees to facilitate an inclusive national dialogue proposed by an independent mechanism.
Burhan made the remarks during a speech marking the anniversary of the Sudanisation of the Armed Forces command, reiterating the military’s commitment to its constitutional duties and its vision for ending the conflict.
He said the guarantees followed discussions with an independent group that sought conditions to ensure broad participation.
“It stressed its independence and openness to everyone, and requested a set of guarantees from the state essential for convening the dialogue, facilitating the participation of its parties, and safeguarding their security, and I have agreed to these guarantees,” Burhan said.
Burhan said the state’s involvement would be limited to creating an enabling environment without shaping the talks.
“The state is ready to provide logistical support alongside legal, political, and security guarantees, without being the organiser of the dialogue or the setter of its agenda or outcomes, out of respect for its independence and keenness on its national credibility,” he said.
The measures address three main areas, starting with the suspension of existing state legal proceedings against participants.
“The measure taken by the state toward any participant in the dialogue is not deemed a pardon, but rather a stay of criminal proceedings previously initiated by the state against them,” Burhan said, adding that dropping charges meant ending ongoing proceedings rather than granting amnesty.
A second measure provides temporary procedural protection for private legal claims, ensuring that attendees face no arrest while preserving substantive civil rights for future proceedings.
The third element guarantees full legal immunity for statements, opinions, and proposals delivered during or in connection with the dialogue sessions.
Burhan concluded by calling for broad public participation in the political process.
“The national dialogue should not be a closed process limited to the parties seated at its table, but must take place in an open public space that facilitates community interaction, allowing the public to express views, critique, or support its topics and outcomes without fear or restrictions,” he said.
These developments follow months of consultations between Burhan and the Democratic Bloc, as well as allied political and armed movements that support the military.
The talks aimed to finalise arrangements for an intra-Sudanese dialogue to be held entirely within the country, driven by a view among military leaders and allied factions that external mediation frameworks have failed to resolve the conflict.
As part of the initiative, the Democratic Bloc submitted an updated roadmap to sovereign authorities, emphasizing national ownership, addressing the root causes of the war, and limiting foreign involvement to facilitation rather than external tutelage.
The consultations also engaged civil society groups, traditional leaders, and religious figures to establish an independent preparatory committee to set participation criteria, agenda items, and operational mechanisms.
To broaden engagement, the parties discussed confidence-building measures, including easing media rhetoric and reviewing legal cases and arrest warrants issued against political figures and civilian activists since the war began in April 2023.
The push for an internal dialogue unfolds amid scepticism from other civilian coalitions, which have raised concerns about inclusivity, political neutrality, and the feasibility of holding a national dialogue while hostilities remain active.