Addis Ababa meeting set criteria barring NCP from inter-Sudanese dialogue
July 13, 2024 (ADDIS ABABA) – Sudanese political groups engaged in the African Union-facilitated discussions in Addis Ababa have established a set of criteria that would disqualify any group meeting those conditions from participating in the post-war political process.
After two days of heated debate, the preparatory conference for the Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue reached a compromise to address the contentious issue of the banned National Congress Party (NCP)’s potential participation in the political process.
The participant recognized the significance of the matter, particularly after the boycott of key political forces, including the Tagadum coalition, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement led by Abdelaziz Al-Hilu, and the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid al-Nur.
A committee formed by the preparatory meeting affirmed the principle of an inclusive Sudanese-Sudanese dialogue, open to all stakeholders except those indicted or convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, or those subject to rulings under the 2019 constitutional document, stated several sources reached by Sudan Tribune.
The constitutional document stipulates that war crimes, crimes against humanity, extrajudicial killings, and violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, along with corruption offenses, perpetrated since June 30, 1989, are not subject to any statute of limitations. Furthermore, it explicitly holds members of the former regime accountable for all crimes committed from that date onward.
Sources indicated that “This formula effectively excludes the National Congress Party from the transitional period without compromising the principle of inclusivity in achieving its goals”. This exclusion is particularly warranted given the Islamists’ refusal to acknowledge or accept responsibility for crimes against the Sudanese people, or to hold those responsible accountable, they added.
Invited NCP leaders did not attend the preparatory meeting at the behest of the organizing party, following a boycott by numerous political forces and widespread opposition from participants.
Several political leaders expressed their frustration and concern over the African Union Commission’s insistence, reportedly influenced by some advisors, on including NCP leaders. This move, they argue, demonstrates a clear disregard for the transitional constitutional declaration and the laws established during the military-aborted transition.
The Preparatory Meeting to Launch an Inter-Sudanese Political Dialogue Process from 10 to 15 July is co-facilitated by the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan and the IGAD Special Envoy for Sudan.