Sudan's leading pro-civilian rule alliance condemned an African Union Commission statement welcoming a call by the Sudanese Armed Forces, one of the two sides in the civil war and accused of committing atrocities, to hold an inconclusive dialogue.
The Civil Democratic Alliance of the Forces of the Revolution expressed its "strong condemnation of the statement issued by the African Union Commission".
"This position runs counter to the charters and rules of this long-established African institution, foremost among them its firmly established principles calling for an end to wars and rejecting coups and unconstitutional changes of government," it added.
Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, head of the armed forces, had announced his intention to hold dialogue with Sudanese parties, while vowing to continue with the war until the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are defeated and rejecting calls for a ceasefire.
The alliance that calls for civilian rule in Sudan said its rejection of Gen Al Burhan's call was "based on clear and undeniable facts, foremost among them that this is a process lacking credibility, taking place in only one part of the country in a way that threatens its unity and entrenches the current reality of division".
The war between the armed forces and the RSF erupted in April 2023 after a dispute over the country's political transition and the integration of the two forces. It has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and created one of the world's largest humanitarian crises, with an estimated 20 million people suffering from hunger.
"General Al Burhan’s so-called political dialogue is neither national nor credible," Former Sudanese prime minister Abdalla Hamdok told The National in a written statement.
"It is a unilateral process confined to territories under his control and designed to manufacture political legitimacy—not to end the war, confront the humanitarian catastrophe or alleviate the immense suffering of the Sudanese people," he added.
"Sudan cannot be reunited through a dialogue that entrenches its division, nor can peace emerge from a process preparing the ground for another military dictatorship ruling half the country," said Mr Hamdok. "A credible political process must begin with ending the war and must be independent, inclusive, civilian-led and national in scope—because Sudan’s future belongs to its people, not to the generals who are destroying it."
