Intra-Sudanese dialogue hangs in balance amid civilian coalition’s hard line: analysts

Khartoum, Sudan | Xinhua | Since the launch of a direct dialogue between the Sudanese army and the civilian coalition under international auspices on June 8, the civilian coalition’s overall hard line on the dialogue has led to analysts’ doubts about reaching a consensual solution to Sudan’s political crisis through the talks.

Despite the tripartite mechanism of the United Nations, African Union and the Djibouti-based Intergovernmental Authority on Development that underpins intra-Sudanese talks, the majority of the civilian coalition categorically reject the dialogue that “does not address the nature of the crisis,” while the rest express only conditional approval for it.

The boycotting camp includes major parties such as the Sudanese Professionals Association, a group of 17 different Sudanese trade unions, and the Sudanese Resistance Committees comprised of youth groups leading the protests demanding civilian rule, reducing the chances of reaching a comprehensive settlement for the crisis, Abdul-Raziq Ziyada, a Sudanese political analyst, told Xinhua.

When the opposition Forces of Freedom and Change alliance agreed to hold talks with the army leaders on Thursday, its major member groups such as the Sudanese Professionals Association criticized the position of the loosely-organized alliance for “contradicting the desire of the Sudanese street.”

“What the mechanism is leading now will lead to a settlement, and the settlement is completely rejected by us, because the basis is accountability and the settlement denies it,” Al-Waleed Ali, spokesman of the Sudanese Professionals Association, said in a statement on Sunday, hinting at the establishment of civilian rule.

Mohamed Al-Fadil, another Sudanese political analyst, said the deep divisions within the civilian coalition hamper the dialogue.

“Unifying the positions of the main revolutionary forces is the real guarantee for the success of the dialogue in reaching a consensus to complete the transitional period, but so far there is no sign of it,” Al-Fadil told Xinhua.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis after Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, declared a state of emergency on Oct. 25, 2021 and dissolved the transitional sovereign council and the government.

Since then, the capital Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding a return to civilian rule.

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Xinhua