Abdulfattah al-Burhan, president of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council, has announced a dialogue with national forces as a new political step toward completing the country’s governing institutions.
In a speech marking the 72nd anniversary of the army’s founding, Burhan said that dialogue on establishing the legislative council was a constitutional requirement.
Legal guarantees for Sudan’s dialogue
Burhan said an independent national group had submitted an initiative to launch an inclusive Sudanese dialogue and announced that he had agreed to provide the legal, political and security guarantees necessary for the talks to proceed.
Burhan said the state would not interfere in the agenda or outcome of the talks, stressing that the dialogue would be conducted independently. He said participants would receive temporary procedural immunity from lawsuits that could be brought by the state and that full legal immunity would apply to the views and positions expressed during the talks.
Burhan sets conditions for peace with the Rapid Support Forces
Speaking about Sudan’s military situation, Burhan said the army was continuing its efforts to clear the country of the Rapid Support Forces.
Burhan said this did not mean that genuine peace initiatives would be rejected, but added that any peace agreement must begin with the Rapid Support Forces laying down their weapons, concentrating their forces in designated areas and allowing civilians to return to their regions.
Casualties in Sudan’s war and the Jeddah talks
The war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces has continued since April 2023. According to estimates by the United Nations and international organizations, tens of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict and approximately 13 million have been displaced.
Saudi Arabia and the United States mediated talks between the two sides beginning on May 6, 2023. On May 11, 2023, the parties signed their first agreement in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on protecting civilians and withdrawing from civilian facilities.
Several cease-fires were declared during the negotiations. However, after cease-fire violations and mutual accusations by the parties, the mediators suspended the talks.
