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Ceasefire First Clash
A Sudanese political coalition member, Shihab Saeed, said isolating Islamists and the National Congress Party from the political and military scene is a “fundamental condition” to pave the way for a ceasefire and new political arrangements in Sudan.
“a fundamental condition to pave the way for a ceasefire”
Saeed warned that any political process conducted “under military cover and amid ongoing fighting” would not end the crisis, arguing that a ceasefire and opening the field to civilian forces should precede political dialogue.
He also said increasing American pressure on the Port Sudan Authority is linked to Washington’s recognition of risks associated with the continued influence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Sudanese scene.
Saeed added that relying on external support, the flow of weapons, and “the multiplicity of regional and international loyalties” of the warring forces increases the risk of internationalizing the crisis and deepening domestic division, making national consensus harder.
U.S. Demands Civilian Dialogue
The U.S. State Department said Washington is ready to work with partners to support a “real and inclusive Sudanese dialogue led by civilians,” to take place at a location agreed upon by the parties with participation from various segments of Sudan’s society.
A spokesperson said the United States does not endorse limiting dialogue to areas under army control and rejects giving military authorities the decision on where the process takes place, who participates, or the agenda and outcomes.
The position was described as clashing with Sudan’s Army Chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who announced a comprehensive Sudanese dialogue at the initiative of a group he described as an “independent national” entity.
Civil and political forces criticized Burhan’s approach, arguing that granting him guarantees to participants raises questions about the independence of the process amid ongoing war, prosecutions, and criminal charges against politicians and opposition activists.
Women Leaders Reject Dialogue
Sudanese women political and human rights leaders criticized army chief Abdelfattah El Burhan’s call for political dialogue, saying any process not preceded by clear steps to stop the war and ensure genuine participation by civilian forces risks reproducing past political experiences.
“‘El Burhan’s dialogue meaningless without a ceasefire’”
Hiba Ahmed, a member of the leadership bureau of the opposition Beja Congress, told Radio Dabanga that the dialogue call was intended to prevent genuine dialogue that could lead to an end to the war and that Burhan was “seeking to make himself president.”
Noon Kashkoush, a Sudanese lawyer, human rights activist, and international law expert, said Burhan’s statements on dialogue, guarantees and amnesty represented a pattern in Sudan’s political history where military and coup governments sought political legitimacy by launching dialogue initiatives.
Kashkoush argued that any political dialogue taking place while the war continued, without addressing ending the fighting, would remain “empty of substance,” and she called for negotiations with the parties to reach a ceasefire and humanitarian truce before moving to the political stage.