Sumud alliance: ‘Reasons for suspension of Sudan’s AU membership still exist’

Report by Suleiman Siri for Radio Dabanga

A delegation from Sudan’s Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (Sumud) pre-empted the African summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, by holding intensive consultations with ‘influential countries’ in decision-making within the African Union, in addition to the 15 countries of the African Peace and Security Council, as the competent authority to freeze and restore the membership of any country in the event of a violation of the Constitutive Charter of the African Union.

The African Union announced that the 48th Ordinary Session of the Executive Board will be held on 11 and 12 February 2026, with the meetings to conclude with the Heads of State and Government Summit from 14 to 15 February 2026.

‘The reasons for the freeze still exist‘

The official spokesman of the Sumud alliance, Dr Bakri El Jak, told Radio Dabanga that the main reason for the suspension of Sudan’s membership still exists, which is due to the absence of a legitimate government, and the continuation of the coup against the legitimacy produced by the revolution, pointing out that the only variable in the equation is igniting the war, and trying to use it to restore legitimacy, which he considered one of the goals of the parties that ignited the conflict.

In 2029, the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) decided to suspend the participation of Sudan in all AU activities until the effective establishment of a civilian-led government. Sudan’s suspension was briefly lifted in 2021, pending the installation of a civilian-led government. The country’s membership was revoked again one month later on October 25, following the coup carried out by the President of the Transitional Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Abdelfattah El Burhan, on October 25, 2021, against the transitional government, by dissolving the Sovereignty Council and the Council of Ministers and imposing a state of emergency in the country.

Sudan suspended its membership in IGAD on January 20, 2024, in protest against the participation of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo ‘Hemedti’ in an extraordinary summit of the leaders of the organisation’s countries held in Uganda two days before the decision to suspend him. Before announcing the unsuspension of his membership two days ago, observers considered it a step to pave the way for Sudan to regain its membership.

Position on the African Union

El Jak explained to Radio Dabanga that this visit is focused on meetings with those concerned countries. El Jak said that their criticism of the African Union was not directed at the African Union as an institution, and not for the positive positions it took by freezing Sudan’s membership since the coup on October 25, 2021, but focused on the way of dealing with the political file, which he said lacks institutional work and relies on dealing with the Sudanese crisis as a transient event, and not as a long and complex process, pointing out that this matter requires the The complexity of the crisis itself has been so great that solutions are thought out.

The efforts of Egypt and Algeria:

In addition, a statement issued by Sumud said that a delegation of its leaders, headed by the head of the alliance, Dr Abdallah Hamdok, arrived in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday, coinciding with the holding of the annual summit of the African Union, which is being held during these days.

During the visit, which lasts several days, the delegation will hold a series of meetings with delegations participating in the African summit to discuss the developments in Sudan, explain the vision of the Sumud alliance to establish peace, and work to urge the countries of the African continent to redouble their efforts to stop the war in Sudan.

Unproductive

El Jak criticised the idea of inviting the Sudanese parties to meetings without prior consultation with the concerned parties about who has the right to invite and participate, and to be content with holding meetings from within the offices, which is considered an unproductive method and does not contribute to addressing the roots of the crisis.

El Jak acknowledged that there are intensive efforts led by Egypt and Algeria, along with other countries, to restore Sudan’s membership in the African Union, which poses a challenge for them in maintaining the suspension of Sudan’s membership, explaining that their position on these efforts is not based on the dismantling of the Sudanese state or entering into political challenges, but is based on an objective reading of the reasons for the suspension of membership, and that the conditions that led to this still exist.

Egypt assumes the presidency of the African Union

The Arab Republic of Egypt assumed the presidency of the African Peace and Security Council of the African Union for the current session, which extends to this February, succeeding the Democratic Republic of Congo, which assumed the task in January 2026.

The Peace and Security Council was established in 2003 and is responsible for implementing the decisions of the African Union and working to prevent and resolve conflicts. It is made up of 15 countries, of which 5 are elected every three years and 10 are elected for two years.

The issue of legitimacy is the most prominent obstacles to achieving peace

The official spokesman of Sumud added that the issue of legitimacy has become one of the most prominent obstacles to reaching peace in Sudan, considering that the African Union should not engage in granting legitimacy to any party, because sufficing with fait accompli legitimacy is understandable, but consolidating the legitimacy of one party at the expense of another party does not help in solutions and would further complicate the crisis and prolong the war.

He stressed that the situation that took place on October 25 is still in place, and there is still no legitimate government, stressing that their position is firm and they have remained opposed to this approach, which starts from this approach, not out of political intrigue, but out of the conviction that this approach further complicates the political scene because there has been no change in the political arena.

El Jak concluded by saying that their efforts will continue and focus on the priority of making peace and bringing together the Sudanese to reach understandings that lead to a new legitimate creation of an authority capable of managing the transitional period, and getting the country out of this predicament in which it lives, stressing that this position is based on a clear and objective theoretical and conceptual foundation.