Sudan’s women call for review of five-party process after Addis talks

The success of meetings led by the five-party mechanism on Sudan’s political process depends on reviewing how the process has been managed, according to leaders of Sudanese women’s and civil-society groups. Their comments, on Radio Dabanga’s Kandakat wa Mayarem programme, broadcast to mark International Women’s Day on  follow a boycott by civil forces of meetings in Addis Ababa in late July. They called for the reasons behind the boycott to be addressed, consultations to be broadened and that women be guaranteed meaningful participation at every stage of the process.

The consultations, held in Addis Ababa on July 27, brought together the quintet, comprised of the United Nations, African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Arab League, and European Union.

Women’s activist Hayam Al Bashari said her position was aligned with the civil forces that boycotted the meetings. She noted that the mechanism had renewed its invitations before addressing shortcomings that had characterised previous meetings.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga’s Kandakat wa Mayarem programme, Al Bashari stressed the need for the preparatory committee to be formed through broad consultations that would determine the parties involved, the agenda, the venue and timing of meetings, and the role of regional and international communities. The National Congress Party and its affiliated bodies should be excluded, she said.

Al Bashari also stressed the need for genuine participation by women, pointing to clear shortcomings in their representation at previous meetings. She called for the inclusion of young people, resistance committees, women with disabilities, refugees, internally displaced people, and others.

Rahma Atiq El Kenzi, a member of the Sudanese Women’s Network and a political and civil activist, described the Addis Ababa meetings as “an incomplete step”. The boycott by important civil-society actors, she said, had deprived the meetings of inclusiveness and balance. In their current form, she argued, the process was incapable of ending the war or creating an inclusive political path.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga’s Kandakat wa Mayarem programme, Atiq called for the parties to the process to be clearly defined and for the National Congress Party and its affiliated bodies to be excluded. Regional and international initiatives should also be brought together, she said, while opening humanitarian channels should be prioritised alongside efforts to end the war.

Mariam Hamid, Executive Director of Kayan Organization for Women’s Empowerment, told Radio Dabanga that some civil forces had lost confidence in several members of the five-party mechanism. She called for communication channels to be rebuilt, warning against “overloading the process” with parties that support military rule, and urged guarantees for the participation of women’s and youth groups.

Randa Obeid, a member of the Sudanese Women’s Union, said the success of any political process depended on broadening participation, building confidence and ensuring a genuine role for women, resistance committees, trade unions, and civil society.

She told Radio Dabanga that the process must be Sudanese-led and Sudanese-owned, with a supportive role for regional and international actors.

The five-party mechanism acknowledged that it would continue consultations with Sudanese parties and conduct a careful review of the proposals and views put forward. It reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with all Sudanese parties in sustained dialogue and through careful preparation.

In a press statement, it said broad and inclusive consultations were essential to building the trust, legitimacy and shared understanding needed to move towards a credible political process with Sudanese ownership.

It also reiterated its respect for Sudan’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, as well as its rejection of parallel governing structures. The mechanism called for de-escalation in order to achieve lasting peace through negotiations.