Sudanese civilian coalition snubs AU meeting over Islamists’ inclusion
July 9, 2024 (ADDIS ABABA)- The Coordination of Civilian Democratic Forces “Tagadum” has declined to participate in the initial phase of political dialogue organised by the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, scheduled from 10 to 15 July.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the coalition’s General Secretariat cited concerns over a lack of transparency in the meeting’s design. It stated that information received had confirmed these concerns over the participation of the Islamists of the banned National Congress Party.
The statement went on to say that the meeting is dominated by elements of the former regime, its associates, and what it termed “forces of war.” This “marginalises the forces for peace and civil democratic transformation, weakening their role”.
The coalition believes this situation will only legitimise the war and its proponents, rather than achieving peace in Sudan.
The African Union has been sticking to its idea of an ” all-inclusive Sudan political dialogue process” referring to the participation of the Sudanese Islamists who reject the idea of a secular state in Sudan and actively undermined the civilian-led transitional government of Abdallah Hamdok.
On 10 June, the coalition received an invitation from Mohamed Ibn Chambas, head of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan, to attend the dialogue.
The coalition’s statement affirmed that it had carefully considered the invitation, as ending the war and establishing lasting peace in Sudan is its top priority.
“The invitation lacked details regarding the involved parties and the methodology used to design the process,” the statement underscored. “Consequently, we requested a meeting with the mechanism to address our queries, which was held virtually on 25 June 2024. Unfortunately, we did not receive the necessary information, as the mechanism declined to inform us of the meeting’s participants and refused to consult on the matter.”
The coalition confirmed that a delegation led by the Secretary-General was dispatched to Addis Ababa on 5 July 2024 to meet with the AU, seeking clarification and discussing the best way forward. The delegation emphasised the AU’s crucial role in Sudanese peace efforts.
During the meeting, the coalition stressed that any political process must be owned and led by the Sudanese people and initiated through genuine consultations with all relevant parties. It should reflect a consensus on the participating parties, the agenda, the process’s stages and timeline, and the role of regional and international facilitators.
The coalition highlighted a discrepancy in the AU’s communication: while the letter of 10 June mentioned consultations with the warring parties, it also stressed that the meeting was intended for civilian forces.
Leaders of the Democratic Bloc, including Mubarak Ardol, arrived in Addis Ababa on Tuesday to participate in the meeting, to which the High-Level Mechanism had invited 60 Sudanese figures.
On Sunday, a leading figure of the NCP Sana Hamad confirmed to Al-Jazeera TV on July 8 that several Islamists received an invitation to participate in the African Union-led process.
Hamad further said they refuse any direct dialogue with the Tagadum, considering that it had granted legitimacy to the Rapid Support Forces and provided political cover for all the “heinous crimes” they committed during this war. However, she added that they do not mind sitting with this political coalition in any collective effort aimed at stopping the war in the country.
(ST)