Sudan’s second round of dialogue preparatory meetings to begin this week

August 5, 2024 (ADDIS ABABA) – The second round of preparatory meetings for inter-Sudanese dialogue will take place at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa from August 9th to 12th, with participation from the Tagadum Coordination of Civil Forces, according to AU sources.

The Tagadum coalition boycotted the first round of talks last month, citing a lack of transparency and the dominance of “forces of war” aligned with the former regime. These concerns led to the marginalization of pro-peace and civil democratic transformation groups, the coalition argued.

Participants in the initial round, held under AU auspices in mid-July, agreed to exclude the National Congress Party (NCP) from any post-war political process.

IGAD’s special envoy to Sudan, Lawrence Korbandy, confirmed the ongoing preparatory meetings and emphasized that political forces not present in the previous round would be given a voice.

AU sources confirmed the participation of Tagadum, the original Umma Party led by Al-Hassan Al-Mirghani, and other groups that boycotted the first round. However, conflicting reports emerged regarding the involvement of the Communist Party.

The technical consultations concluded with finalizing the agenda for the second round’s preparatory meeting. Bakry Eljack, Tagadum’s spokesman, confirmed the participation of various groups, including the SPLM-N led by Al-Hilu, the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdel Wahid Nur, the original Arab Socialist Baath Party, the Sudanese Communist Party, and various youth, women’s, and civil society organizations.

U.S. Special Envoy Tom Perriello affirmed coordination with the AU on the dialogue process during a press meeting in Addis Ababa last Friday, emphasizing support for the AU High Committee responsible for its coordination.