Sudan cannot afford to dismiss a chance for dialogue

More than three years into the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Backing Forces (RSF), Sudan is desperately in need of a political settlement.

What happened

In August, a self-appointed committee of 19 Sudanese public figures, chaired by Ahfad University President Qasim Badri, introduced an initiative to prepare the ground for national dialogue inside Sudan. Its members had earlier met SAF chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and pressed legal restrictions on opposition politicians to be lifted. The authorities subsequently issued a decree to drop certain politically motivated charges against Sudanese abroad returning for dialogue and grant participants temporary legal protections. These are limited but significant confidence-building measures.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around sudan cannot afford to dismiss a chance for dialogue point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.