Sudan

AU Peace and Security Council leaders to convene on Sudan crisis

Africa Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki. (Photo: AUC)

By Mwangi Maina | Friday, June 21, 2024

The meeting serves as a crucial response to the crisis and highlights the AU's delayed efforts in addressing one of Africa's largest humanitarian issues.

The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) is set to convene its 1218th session at the level of Heads of State and Government on Friday to address the situation in Sudan.

This marks the second summit-level session on Sudan that Uganda has convened during its chairmanship of the PSC since the conflict erupted in April 2023, with the first session held last May.

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The meeting serves as a crucial response to the crisis and highlights the AU's delayed efforts in addressing one of Africa's largest humanitarian issues.

Uganda's President and PSC Chairperson for June, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, is expected to preside over the session.

However, Uganda has faced accusations from the Sudanese military authorities of sympathizing with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Al Burhan, have accused Uganda of aiding the UAE in arming the RDF, allegedly using Kampala as a base for refuelling or originating multiple planes carrying weapons.

The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Chair of the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan and High Representative for Silencing the Guns, are expected to brief the PSC on the situation.

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN); Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD); and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Executive Secretary of the League of Arab States (LAS), are also anticipated to deliver statements.

Africa Amani, an independent pan-African policy research organisation specialising in the AU and its peace and security council, notes that the session is expected to discuss the state of stalling regional and international diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

“It is likely that the PSC will hear from the High-Level Panel on efforts to convene an all-inclusive inter-Sudanese dialogue," the think tank stated in an analysis posted on Thursday.

According to a briefing note prepared for the 1209th session, the panel has developed a three-pronged approach to address the situation in Sudan: shuttle diplomacy with various stakeholders to mobilise support, enhanced coordination with partners and regional organisations to consolidate mediation efforts and avoid duplication, and convening an inclusive inter-Sudanese political dialogue focused on ending the conflict and charting a future course for the country.

This dialogue, intended to complement the Jeddah Process, is envisioned to proceed in two phases: the planning phase and the main phase.

The planning phase will address various issues to set the tone for the main phase, including the categories of entities or individuals to be invited, quotas of representation, agenda, structure of dialogue management, venue, date, funding, logistics, and the role of the international community.

Since its last update to the PSC, a significant development that the panel is expected to highlight concerns its plan for holding a preparatory meeting.

Sudan's conflict has raged for nearly a year, resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe.

According to estimates, up to 12 million people have abandoned their homes, with two million moving to unstable neighbouring nations, and famine is looming in multiple areas.