Sudan begins final round of negotiations for transition to civilian rule

Sudan says it has launched its final phase of talks in the political process toward restoring a civilian-led government.

More than a year after a military coup, political parties began talks on Monday to try and reach a deal to form a civilian government.

In December 2022, the parties signed a deal aimed at paving the way for the new transition but faced resistance from protest groups opposed to negotiations with the military and from factions loyal to the regime of toppled leader Omar al-Bashir.

After al-Bashir was ousted in April 2019 due to mass protests demanding his resignation, Sudan was ruled by a transitional government made up of both civilian and military representatives.

The transitional government was tasked with overseeing a return to full civilian rule but was threatened by a coup attempt by a group of soldiers.

Since the military takeover, no new prime minister has been named, while the economy has stagnated and internal conflicts in parts of the country have escalated.

The African Union (AU) had also suspended Sudan’s membership, saying the layoff would be in place until the transitional government was restored.

Speaking on the latest update on Monday, Khalid Yousif, former cabinet minister, said dismantling al-Bashir’s administration would be at the forefront of talks this week.

“The goal is for the results of this conference to represent a wide base of Sudanese, to be comprehensive and express the views of stakeholders,” he said.

António Guterres, United Nations (UN) secretary-general, has described the development as an important step to progress, adding that the UN remains committed to helping the country achieve its goals.

“This step builds on the progress achieved upon the signing of the political framework agreement on 5 December 2022, and marks another important step forward towards realizing the aspirations of the Sudanese people for democracy, peace and sustainable development,” Guterres said.

“The United Nations, through the Trilateral Mechanism comprised of the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS), the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), remains committed to supporting the process and to help secure a final political agreement over the coming weeks.”