Sudan expects African Union commission chief visit to discuss ending suspension
October 7, 2026 KHARTOUM) – African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf is expected to visit Sudan soon to discuss lifting the suspension of its membership, Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohieddin Salim said on Wednesday.
Speaking in a televised interview with state news agency SUNA, Salim said he expects the AU chief to visit shortly to hold talks on reinstating the country.
The African Union suspended Sudan after military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan seized power in an October 2021 coup, an intervention Burhan described at the time as a “course correction.”
Salim criticized the charter of the AU Peace and Security Council, saying flawed provisions had enabled the suspension, and noted that he had urged the council in February to reverse the decision.
He added that European officials, during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, had emphasized Sudan’s key role in resolving regional crises and issues facing neighboring states.
Salim also urged the United States to reassess its policy toward Sudan, pointing to what he characterized as slow engagement from Washington despite open channels for dialogue.
Tensions between Khartoum and Washington have risen following the U.S. refusal to grant Burhan a visa to attend the U.N. General Assembly, with media reports suggesting Washington had conditioned entry on his agreement to a three-month humanitarian truce.
Salim also criticized the diplomatic Quint group — comprising the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, regional bloc IGAD, and the Arab League — saying it sidelines the government from meetings and remains detached from conditions on the ground.
The Quint has sought to facilitate consultations among Sudanese political groups and armed factions ahead of a broader political transition process.
Salim said Sudan remains open to peace efforts provided solutions are determined by the Sudanese people rather than imposed externally.
He reiterated the government’s terms for ending the war, which include disarming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), gathering their troops in designated assembly areas, and expelling foreign mercenaries, who he claimed account for 60% of RSF ranks.