Sudan seeks return to African Union
Sudan and the African Union (AU) have discussed the restoration of the country’s membership in the organization, national news agency SUNA reported on Wednesday.
Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris and the chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, commented on the discussions following their meeting on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
According to SUNA, Idris called Sudan’s suspension from the AU “unjust” and said peace remains the priority of the civilian government. Youssouf stressed the need for a broader dialogue, rejected parallel government structures, and urged foreign actors not to repeat the Libyan scenario in Sudan.
In July, the AU Peace and Security Council, along with Arab League, condemned Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for announcing the formation of a rival government and warned that the move could further fragment the war-torn country.
Youssouf reaffirmed the AU’s support for Sudan in the next phase, aiming to strengthen security and stability and restore the country to its place among the union’s member states.
The diplomatic push by Sudan comes as the AU also reviews the status of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, three West African nations that were suspended following military takeovers. The foreign ministers of the three countries also held talks with the AU this week to explore renewed cooperation, particularly on regional security and counterterrorism.
Sudan was suspended on October, 2021, after General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan led a military coup that ousted the civilian-led transitional government. The coup was condemned by the AU and the international community, with demands for a return to civilian rule.
Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a brutal conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. The two rival factions are battling for control amid the collapse of the political transition. The UN has called the situation the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with over 11.9 million people displaced and thousands killed.
