Sudanese anti-war groups meet in Ethiopia to discuss Burhan’s call for dialogue

Rejection and alternative proposal

Sudanese political and civil forces opposed to the war have rejected an initiative for an internal Sudanese dialogue backed by Army chief and head of the Sovereignty Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, according to reports from ENA English, middle-east-online.com, and the Middle East Monitor. The rejection was announced on Sunday at the conclusion of a two-day consultative meeting held in Addis Ababa on August 22-23. Representatives of the groups, describing themselves as anti-war and unaffiliated with either side of the conflict, said the initiative did not represent a genuine path to peace. Instead, they proposed an alternative peace process built around three simultaneous tracks: humanitarian action, a ceasefire and security arrangements, and a political process.

The groups adopted a joint position paper titled "The Peace Process We Want," which explicitly rejected Burhan's call for dialogue from inside Sudan. They argued that launching dialogue from territory controlled by one of the warring parties could not be credible or inclusive, and risked reinforcing existing de facto territorial and political divisions. As reported by several sources, the initiative risked turning military control on the ground into a permanent political reality.

Participants and proposal details

Participants included representatives of the Sudanese Declaration of Principles, the Popular Congress Party, the National Umma Party, civil society organizations, women's and youth networks, and independent public figures. The middle-east-online.com report additionally noted that the Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Democratic Forces (Sumoud), headed by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, was among the participants, and that the National Umma Party said the meeting was organized by groups not affiliated with the army or the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The proposed three tracks would operate under an independent and mutually agreed framework intended to prevent either side from dominating the political process. According to single-source details from the meeting, the political track would include three components on an equal basis: civilian forces not aligned with the warring sides, forces aligned with the army, and forces aligned with the RSF. The document called for the army and the RSF to be confined to the humanitarian and security tracks and excluded from determining the political track's outcome. Additionally, the groups called for the dissolved National Congress Party and Islamic Movement to be excluded from the peace process.

The proposal drew on the "Sudanese Declaration of Principles for Building a New Nation," signed in Nairobi in December 2025, according to a statement attributed to the meeting. The declaration was signed by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, the National Umma Party, the Sudanese Congress Party, the Federal Gathering, and the Sudan Liberation Movement.

Dialogue initiative

The rejection comes just days after Burhan announced on August 14 that he supported an initiative put forward by a group of Sudanese citizens to prepare for an inclusive Sudanese dialogue to be held inside the country. As reported by middle-east-online.com, Burhan said the state would not organize the dialogue or determine its agenda or outcomes. Similar details were carried in other sources. The Sudanese Foreign Minister, Mohieddin Salem, said on Wednesday that political dialogue would soon be launched, noting that contacts were underway at various levels to prepare for its launch.

The meeting in Addis Ababa was covered as opening on Saturday, with participants discussing developments in Sudan and national visions for comprehensive peace, as well as the efforts of external mediators and the call for dialogue. The National Umma Party's statement, reported by Middle East Monitor, said the meeting was organized by these anti-war groups.

The conflict in Sudan began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and has killed tens of thousands and displaced around 13 million, according to estimates. Repeated regional and international mediation efforts, as reported by the sources, have failed to produce a lasting ceasefire or comprehensive settlement.