‘Full civilian participation essential for peace in Sudan’, civil society leaders tell Berlin Conference delegates

Sudanese civilians are organising, converging, and demand to be heard. Leading Sudanese independent democratic civil society groups, namely the Declaration of Principles Alliance, the Democratic Civil Society Platform, the Sudan Civic Convergence Tracks, and the Sudan Peace Call, have addressed an open letter to the Principals of the international Quintet and Quad coalitions, ahead of the Conference on Sudan in Berlin on April 15, 2026, presenting their collective position “as a coherent, independent civic bloc”.

They declare that “peace in Sudan cannot be achieved without the full participation of its people, because Sudanese civil society is organised, united in purpose, and ready to engage”, and demand “genuine inclusion at every stage, grounded in local realities”.

In the letter, the signatories emphasise that they represent “hundreds of civil society organisations, groupings, and actors, united in our commitment to an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian principles, and a peaceful future for Sudan”.

The signatories’ initiatives span women’s groups, professional networks, youth coalitions, national and community-based organisations, and research institutions, with years of sustained organising among Sudanese civilians.

“At this critical moment, as mediation efforts intensify and international engagements in Berlin approach, we present our collective position as a coherent, independent civic bloc with clear demands.”

‘Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe is the central reality and the immediate priority of this war…’

The letter underscores that “Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe is the central reality and the immediate priority of this war”, therefore “sustained humanitarian action must be protected and expanded.

It debunks the claim that Sudanese civilians are too divided to engage meaningfully, that has been used to justify exclusion, saying that it does not reflect reality. “Sudanese civilians are organising, converging, and demand to be heard.”

The signatories lament that “despite the Quartet’s September statement rightly recognising that no military solution is viable and that a political settlement is the only path, mediation efforts continue to centre armed actors, with civilians marginalised”. They demand “genuine inclusion at every stage, grounded in local realities”.

‘Sudanese civilians are organising, converging, and demand to be heard…’

Finally, they emphasise: “Distinction between a ‘political’ and a ‘civilian’ process has, in practice, subordinated civilian voices.” The signatories insist that the ‘civilian process’ must not be subordinated to the ‘political process’.

“The political track convenes armed actors and political blocs as principals while civilian consultation runs alongside it as a secondary exercise,” they say.

‘Peace in Sudan cannot be achieved without the full participation of its people…’

In conclusion, the Sudanese civil society groups acknowledge that “peace in Sudan cannot be achieved without the full participation of its people, because Sudanese civil society is organised, united in purpose, and ready to engage,” looking forward to “a substantive partnership in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace for Sudan”.

Read the complete letter below:

---

Open Letter on the International Sudan Conference in Berlin

13 April 2026

From:   Independent Sudanese Civil Society Actors

To:          The Principals of the Quintet and the Quad

Your Excellencies,

We, the undersigned independent Sudanese civil society initiatives, representing hundreds of civil society organisations, groupings, and actors, write united in our commitment to an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian principles, and a peaceful future for Sudan. Our initiatives span women’s groups, professional networks, youth coalitions, national and community-based organisations, and research institutions, with years of sustained organising among Sudanese civilians. At this critical moment, as mediation efforts intensify and international engagements in Berlin approach, we present our collective position as a coherent, independent civic bloc with clear demands:

1. Sustained Humanitarian Action Must Be Protected and Expanded

Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe is the central reality and the immediate priority of this war. Millions of civilians continue to endure displacement, hunger, siege, loss of livelihoods, collapse of basic services, and grave protection risks. We call for sustained, unhindered humanitarian access across all areas, through all necessary routes, and at a scale commensurate with the crisis. This includes protection of humanitarian workers and local responders, consistent support for Sudanese community-based response structures, and rejecting the politicisation, obstruction, or militarisation of aid. Any process that fails to deliver this will fall short of the urgency of Sudanese civilian suffering.

2. Sudanese Civilians Are Organising, Converging, and Demand to Be Heard

The claim that civilians are too divided to engage meaningfully has been used to justify exclusion, but it does not reflect reality. Multiple convergence initiatives, including women’s coalitions, professional bodies, and other platforms, have coordinated joint positions and shared messaging. Yet civilian stakeholders are still forced to rely on guesswork to understand the direction, timeline, and substance of processes that will shape their country’s future. We demand transparent, timely, and regular communication with civilian stakeholders on all mediation processes.

3. Genuine Inclusion at Every Stage, Grounded in Local Realities

Despite the Quartet’s September statement rightly recognising that no military solution is viable and that a political settlement is the only path, mediation efforts continue to centre armed actors, with civilians marginalised. We urge that independent civilian actors be included at every stage of mediation as full participants whose input is integral to any legitimate outcome. Guided by the failure of previous elite-centric peace efforts, mechanisms should be created for grassroots voices, from displacement camps, besieged communities, and the diaspora, to inform negotiations. Any transitional framework developed without meaningful consultation of Sudanese civilians will lack legitimacy and public support.

4. Harmonisation of Peace and Political Processes

Current mediation efforts remain fragmented. The Quartet and the Quintet proceed along parallel tracks with insufficient coordination, creating confusion among Sudanese stakeholders and undermining the coherence of international engagement. The contradictory messages that civilian groups receive when engaging with different international actors create opportunities open space for spoilers and make it harder for well-intentioned actors on all sides to build momentum toward a shared outcome. We call for urgent harmonisation into a unified framework with clear sequencing and alignment. International actors should meet the same standard of coordination they expect from Sudanese civilians.

5. The “Civilian Process” Must Not Be Subordinated to the “Political Process”

The distinction between a “political” and a “civilian” process has, in practice, subordinated civilian voices. The political track convenes armed actors and political blocs as principals while civilian consultation runs alongside it as a secondary exercise. We reject this framing and the hierarchy it produces. The civilian process must not be treated as an annex to negotiations whose terms have already been set by others. It must carry independent authority, with substantive outputs that shape the final process, not merely legitimise it. Civilians are not a constituency to consult after decisions are made, but a central party to any durable resolution.

We write because peace in Sudan cannot be achieved without the full participation of its people, and because Sudanese civil society is organised, united in purpose, and ready to engage. We look forward to your response and to a substantive partnership in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace for Sudan.

Respectfully,

To: Quintet Principals:

African Union

European Union

Intergovernmental Authority on Development

League of Arab States

United Nations

Quad Principals:

Arab Republic of Egypt

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

United States of America

CC to International Sudan Conference in Berlin hosts and co-hosts:

Federal Republic of Germany, Foreign Office

France, Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs

United Kingdom, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office

From Undersigned Sudanese independent democratic civil society groups:

Declaration of Principles Alliance

Democratic Civil Society Platform

Sudan Civic Convergence Tracks

Sudan Peace Call