Sudan anti-war forces reject El Burhan dialogue call

Sudanese anti-war civilian and political forces have rejected Sovereignty Council President and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Lt Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan’s call for political dialogue, arguing that no credible political process can take place while the war continues.

The position was renewed at the end of a two-day meeting in Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa, where political parties, including the forces behind the “Sudanese Declaration of Principles”, the Popular Congress Party, the Umma Party, civil society organisations, and feminist and youth networks agreed that Sudan needs a genuine peace process focused on stopping the fighting and addressing the humanitarian crisis.

The participants described El Burhan’s dialogue call as a political manoeuvre aimed at consolidating the army’s authority, granting it political legitimacy and paving the way for elements of the former regime and the Islamic movement to return to power.

The participants adopted a joint position paper, The Peace Process We Want, calling for an independent political process free from the dominance of either party to the conflict and rejecting dialogue that could entrench military rule.

Former Prime Minister and Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (Sumoud)  president Abdalla Hamdok described the Addis Ababa gathering as a major development for Sudan’s civilian forces. He said the meeting had disproved expectations that the civilian camp could not unite.

Despite the scale of the country’s crisis, Hamdok said “hope is there” and urged continued efforts to overcome the conditions that have prolonged the war.

The anti-war forces reaffirmed their support for the Quadrilateral Roadmap issued in September 2025 and called for a unified international mediation framework.

Their proposed action plan includes measures for the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to de-escalate the conflict and agree to an immediate truce. Participants also agreed to form a joint committee to coordinate the positions and vision of the anti-war civilian camp.

The meeting concluded with an appeal to Sudanese people at home and abroad to reject the war, confront hate speech and polarisation, and work towards a comprehensive peace that restores civilian authority and preserves Sudan’s unity.